Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Manzini

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Manzini actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $359 in Manzini.

Barcelona $2,443
Manzini $359

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $383 in Manzini.

Barcelona $3,519
Manzini $383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $406 in Manzini.

Barcelona $4,595
Manzini $406

Living in Barcelona is roughly 580% more expensive than in Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Manzini is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.77

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.16

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.68

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.27 SZL 20.99

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$0.89 SZL 14.74

138.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.75 SZL 29.03

12.57%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.25

$1.17 SZL 19.37

306.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.24

$7.14 SZL 118

139.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.00

$2.96 SZL 49.15

202.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.44

$1.77 SZL 29.29

1066.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.82

$1.37 SZL 22.75

130.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.63 SZL 10.42

212.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$0.76 SZL 12.62

248.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$0.49 SZL 8.14

487.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$0.61 SZL 10.15

237.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.46 SZL 7.68

373.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.40 SZL 6.67

282.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$0.63 SZL 10.44

53.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.22

$2.96 SZL 49.11

135.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$3.32 SZL 55.1

137.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$0.58 SZL 9.61

144.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$0.79 SZL 13.10

240.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

$0.62 SZL 10.25

433.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.87

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.75

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.36

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.33 SZL 22.10

40.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.0K €29.4K

$16.7K SZL 276.4K

97.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.9K €28.5K

$15.6K SZL 258.2K

105.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$183 €163

$72.2 SZL 1,197

153.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.24 €12.72

$12.21 SZL 202

16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.87

$29.64 SZL 492

16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.64

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.88

$3.65 SZL 60.5

203.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$944 €843

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.63

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,516

$177 SZL 2,937

857.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,194

$121 SZL 2,012

1001.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,405

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,855

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,391

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,537

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,002

$482 SZL 7,985

365.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

-68.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $177 in Manzini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 4.7 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

110,508

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SZL = 6.03 USD

100 SZL = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.58 SZL (100 SZL = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.57 SZL (100 SZL = 5.39 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Manzini 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Manzini

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $359 in Manzini, so Manzini is about 85% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Barcelona is about 4.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $177 in Manzini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 188% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,443 per month in Barcelona versus $359 in Manzini – Manzini is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $359 in Manzini versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $800 budget is realistic in Manzini but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Manzini the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Manzini wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.