Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbabane Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbabane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $785 in Mbabane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,291 in Mbabane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,797 in Mbabane.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 210% more expensive than in Mbabane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Mbabane is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$10.61 SZL 171

77.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$34.54 SZL 556

101.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$5.93 SZL 95.4

137.44%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.55 SZL 41.11

22.35%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.15 SZL 18.55

153.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.62 SZL 9.98

201.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.12 SZL 34.06

88.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$2.51 SZL 40.43

84.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.46 SZL 23.57

-18.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.92 SZL 14.76

131.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.63 SZL 26.18

12.88%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.74 SZL 27.96

194.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$9.76 SZL 157

67.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$5.18 SZL 83.3

87.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$5.98 SZL 96.3

228.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.58 SZL 25.41

98.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.84 SZL 13.52

159.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.02 SZL 16.38

141.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.68 SZL 27.09

64.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.32 SZL 21.32

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.37 SZL 22.11

62.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.72 SZL 11.64

106.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.80 SZL 12.91

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.81 SZL 45.16

158.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$6.14 SZL 98.9

35.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.62 SZL 26.13

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.68 SZL 27.01

59.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.65 SZL 10.54

372.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$4.33 SZL 69.7

-22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.57 SZL 25.28

19.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.27 SZL 20.44

37.01%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$18.2K SZL 293.6K

100.16%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$21.7K SZL 348.6K

45.50%

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

$183 €156

$57.2 SZL 921

219.44%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$38.21 SZL 615

-58.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$30.95 SZL 498

18.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$25.59 SZL 412

109.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$3.05 SZL 49.12

461.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$4.39 SZL 70.7

162.19%

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

$952 €815

$54.7 SZL 880

1641.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$6,402 SZL 103.0K

152.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$40.77 SZL 656

102.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$23.44 SZL 377

72.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$73.1 SZL 1,176

47.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$67.0 SZL 1,078

87.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$268 SZL 4,318

521.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$184 SZL 2,962

599.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$519 SZL 8,355

412.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$404 SZL 6,501

371.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$496 SZL 7,989

1413.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$370 SZL 5,958

1298.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$664 SZL 10.7K

268.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

11.62

-73.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $268 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 269% 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 $35.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $179 per month, with Mbabane 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 Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mbabane differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $785 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 269% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $268 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $54.7 in Mbabane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mbabane – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Mbabane versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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 Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.