Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $473 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $777 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 425% more expensive than in Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Mersa Matruh is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$4.31 E£219

327.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$16.68 E£849

315.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$4.83 E£246

190.89%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$1.32 E£67.0

135.61%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$0.35 E£17.56

745.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.11 E£5.66

1672.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$1.36 E£69.4

193.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.87 E£146

60.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.85 E£43.34

55.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.71 E£36.12

197.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.62 E£31.75

195.16%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.21 E£61.7

326.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$3.81 E£194

360.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$4.59 E£234

106.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$9.29 E£473

114.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.57 E£79.8

101.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.79 E£40.08

179.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$0.58 E£29.38

350.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.38 E£19.35

650.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.25 E£12.72

768.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.33 E£16.85

539.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.27 E£13.69

500.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.22 E£11.19

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$2.00 E£102

258.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$6.02 E£306

38.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.29 E£65.6

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.74 E£139

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.20 E£10.16

1470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$0.57 E£28.80

464.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.42 E£21.47

259.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$1.91 E£97.3

1746.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.44 E£22.46

297.73%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.9K E£1.7M

8.15%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$28.6K E£1.5M

10.59%

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

$187 €161

$14.34 E£729

1204.88%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$7.11 E£362

112.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$13.70 E£697

174.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$18.94 E£963

192.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$2.99 E£152

291.64%

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

$1,011 €869

$84.7 E£4,309

1093.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$2,122 E£108.0K

704.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$32.80 E£1,668

178.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$44.31 E£2,254

-7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$126 E£6,394

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$54.7 E£2,781

130.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$141 E£7,169

1108.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$77.5 E£3,943

1576.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$263 E£13.4K

885.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$152 E£7,732

1169.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$786 E£40.0K

883.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$447 E£22.7K

1104.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$97.6 E£4,964

2332.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

21.33

-85.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $141 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2333% 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 $17.00 in Mersa Matruh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $131 per month, with Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mersa Matruh differ by about 425% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $473 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2333% 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 $141 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $84.7 in Mersa Matruh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mersa Matruh – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $473 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mersa Matruh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 425% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.