Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marrakech Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marrakech

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $905 in Marrakech.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,396 in Marrakech.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,888 in Marrakech.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than Marrakech, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Marrakech is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.56 MAD 41.93

285.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$33.31 MAD 306

105.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.99 MAD 64.2

101.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.54 MAD 23.33

9.45%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.27 MAD 11.63

120.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.60 MAD 5.55

243.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.34 MAD 49.06

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.32 MAD 58.1

-27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.90 MAD 8.28

37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.58 MAD 5.35

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.75 MAD 16.06

9.71%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.09 MAD 19.19

58.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.56 MAD 87.9

92.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.98 MAD 55.0

58.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.03 MAD 101

73.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.58 MAD 14.53

67.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.35 MAD 12.38

81.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.90 MAD 8.27

135.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.88 MAD 8.08

223.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.80 MAD 7.39

155.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.74 MAD 6.83

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.42 MAD 3.88

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 MAD 5.88

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.35 MAD 39.94

64.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.22 MAD 75.5

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.68 MAD 24.63

-48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.96 MAD 27.18

-21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.43 MAD 3.92

593.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$10.91 MAD 100

168.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.02 MAD 9.42

350.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.51 MAD 4.71

305.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$5.44 MAD 50.0

436.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.58 MAD 14.54

16.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.8K MAD 347.2K

3.27%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.1K MAD 276.5K

8.70%

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

$188 €162

$31.74 MAD 292

491.75%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$10.91 MAD 100

110.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$46.40 MAD 426

-20.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$23.72 MAD 218

141.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$32.52 MAD 299

-36.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.74 MAD 62.0

66.02%

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

$721 €620

$111 MAD 1,023

547.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,435 MAD 59.1K

133.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.93 MAD 385

105.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$50.0 MAD 460

-25.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$110 MAD 1,013

-7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$102 MAD 938

13.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$435 MAD 3,997

252.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$283 MAD 2,601

331.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$763 MAD 7,015

253.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$443 MAD 4,072

354.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,993 MAD 18.3K

262.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,039 MAD 9,550

399.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$528 MAD 4,850

347.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.75

-28.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $435 in Marrakech. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 347% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Marrakech for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 per month, with Marrakech cheaper across the board.

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 Marrakech: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Marrakech differ by about 161% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $905 including rent). Marrakech is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 347% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $435 in Marrakech. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $111 in Marrakech. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $905 in Marrakech versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Marrakech but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Marrakech 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Marrakech are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Marrakech gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.