Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Meknes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Meknes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $731 in Meknes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,128 in Meknes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Meknes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 239% more expensive than in Meknes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Meknes is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.25 MAD 30.81

476.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$15.66 MAD 149

343.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.38 MAD 60.6

115.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.25 MAD 11.89

148.00%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.91 MAD 8.62

210.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.42 MAD 4.00

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.10 MAD 29.36

28.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.68 MAD 34.89

23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.84 MAD 7.97

51.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.40 MAD 3.77

440.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.26 MAD 11.90

39.68%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.86 MAD 17.68

175.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$15.28 MAD 145

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.29 MAD 50.2

82.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.69 MAD 91.9

107.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.31 MAD 12.40

148.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.23 MAD 11.68

81.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.67 MAD 6.33

288.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.60 MAD 5.66

360.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.56 MAD 5.32

294.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.80 MAD 7.59

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.47 MAD 4.50

229.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.58 MAD 5.53

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.14 MAD 39.30

77.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.87 MAD 103

-25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.33 MAD 31.59

-53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.66 MAD 25.21

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.43 MAD 4.13

623.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$16.13 MAD 153

60.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.73 MAD 6.91

347.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.54 MAD 5.15

174.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.43 MAD 13.55

20.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.8K MAD 330.4K

4.38%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.2K MAD 296.0K

-2.15%

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

$187 €163

$31.36 MAD 297

496.56%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.65 MAD 91.5

56.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$34.69 MAD 329

8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$29.45 MAD 279

89.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$34.01 MAD 323

-49.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.15 MAD 39.35

174.94%

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

$997 €869

$127 MAD 1,201

687.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$67.2 MAD 637

37.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$64.3 MAD 609

-35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$104 MAD 982

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$67.3 MAD 638

85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$276 MAD 2,616

518.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$177 MAD 1,676

627.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$473 MAD 4,490

441.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$295 MAD 2,794

559.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$982 MAD 9,308

679.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$631 MAD 5,988

718.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$479 MAD 4,543

390.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.5

-29.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Meknes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $276 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 390% 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 $16.00 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $202 per month, with Meknes 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 Meknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Meknes differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $731 including rent). Meknes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 390% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $276 in Meknes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $127 in Meknes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $731 in Meknes versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes 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 Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.