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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $752 in Mbabane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,171 in Mbabane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,590 in Mbabane.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 211% more expensive than Mbabane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mbabane is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.05 SZL 49.29

460.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$28.83 SZL 466

140.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$2.28 SZL 36.79

504.39%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.96 SZL 31.63

40.82%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.98 SZL 15.77

184.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.59 SZL 9.51

237.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.70 SZL 27.42

156.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.71 SZL 27.66

177.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.07 SZL 17.34

20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.77 SZL 12.49

166.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 SZL 20.46

56.69%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.63 SZL 26.37

107.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.82 SZL 142

113.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.01 SZL 80.9

86.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$5.32 SZL 85.9

259.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.48 SZL 23.92

82.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.71 SZL 11.43

229.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.91 SZL 14.76

132.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.41 SZL 22.72

102.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.05 SZL 17.02

87.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.22 SZL 19.64

47.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.53 SZL 8.48

173.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.79 SZL 12.68

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.66 SZL 42.91

154.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.10 SZL 98.6

29.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.43 SZL 23.17

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.41 SZL 22.81

68.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.15 SZL 18.62

153.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$28.97 SZL 468

-0.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.40 SZL 54.9

31.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.74 SZL 44.23

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$3.30 SZL 53.3

795.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.13 SZL 18.24

61.06%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$17.1K SZL 275.7K

127.51%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$20.8K SZL 335.5K

59.36%

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

$189 €163

$78.1 SZL 1,261

142.39%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$34.92 SZL 564

-34.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$28.54 SZL 461

31.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$27.94 SZL 451

106.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$5.09 SZL 82.2

307.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.56 SZL 57.5

203.93%

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

$728 €628

$105 SZL 1,701

591.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,609 SZL 74.5K

220.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$44.96 SZL 726

97.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$23.08 SZL 373

59.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.3 SZL 1,184

39.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$81.8 SZL 1,321

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$263 SZL 4,243

497.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$185 SZL 2,982

559.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$494 SZL 7,975

466.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$368 SZL 5,940

437.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$495 SZL 7,996

1466.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$373 SZL 6,020

1289.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$668 SZL 10.8K

250.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.62

-70.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $263 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 251% 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 $29.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $159 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 211% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $752 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 251% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $263 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $105 in Mbabane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Mbabane versus $2,337 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 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.