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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $924 in Marrakech.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,359 in Marrakech.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,794 in Marrakech.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 169% more expensive than in Marrakech, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Marrakech is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.65 MAD 34.34

404.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$31.90 MAD 300

117.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$6.44 MAD 60.5

118.17%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.37 MAD 22.31

31.22%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.93 MAD 18.18

53.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.67 MAD 6.32

191.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$6.75 MAD 63.4

-40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.34 MAD 50.2

-13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.83 MAD 7.78

59.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.83 MAD 7.83

154.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.57 MAD 14.73

16.56%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.97 MAD 18.50

161.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$7.91 MAD 74.4

122.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.40 MAD 50.8

75.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$12.09 MAD 114

64.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.62 MAD 15.23

95.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.46 MAD 13.74

51.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.92 MAD 8.63

183.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.77 MAD 7.26

270.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.69 MAD 6.48

214.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.84 MAD 7.85

151.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.24 MAD 2.25

575.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.59 MAD 5.58

49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.32 MAD 40.55

65.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.05 MAD 75.6

3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.35 MAD 22.05

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.43 MAD 32.28

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.42 MAD 3.93

647.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$26.58 MAD 250

-1.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.89 MAD 8.36

261.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.66 MAD 6.23

128.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.64 MAD 71.8

361.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 MAD 14.77

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$34.6K MAD 325.2K

5.94%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$30.2K MAD 284.0K

4.81%

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

$187 €161

$36.21 MAD 340

416.76%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$9.59 MAD 90.1

57.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$38.33 MAD 360

-1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$29.61 MAD 278

87.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$21.79 MAD 205

-23.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.61 MAD 62.1

77.16%

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

$1,011 €871

$101 MAD 953

897.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,643 MAD 81.2K

97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$32.31 MAD 304

182.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$47.07 MAD 442

-12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$84.6 MAD 795

30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$84.5 MAD 794

49.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$491 MAD 4,615

246.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$328 MAD 3,086

295.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$760 MAD 7,139

240.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$460 MAD 4,322

319.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,975 MAD 18.6K

291.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$954 MAD 8,962

464.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$510 MAD 4,791

365.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.5

-9.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $491 in Marrakech. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 366% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Marrakech for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $189 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 169% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $924 including rent). Marrakech is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 366% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $491 in Marrakech. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $101 in Marrakech. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Marrakech versus $2,482 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 169% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.