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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $476 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $752 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 391% more expensive than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mersa Matruh is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.81

$3.64 E£189

369.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.1

$15.86 E£825

336.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$4.72 E£245

191.95%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$1.51 E£78.5

82.78%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$0.29 E£15.04

862.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.12 E£6.21

1558.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.79

$1.22 E£63.6

257.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$3.05 E£158

55.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.87 E£45.21

48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.72 E£37.60

184.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.71 E£36.67

180.28%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$1.46 E£75.8

132.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$3.95 E£206

376.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$4.46 E£232

109.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.58

$9.72 E£505

96.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.42 E£73.6

90.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$0.54 E£28.03

333.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.43 E£22.31

393.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$0.37 E£19.14

670.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.38 E£19.65

418.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.40 E£20.88

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.24 E£12.55

504.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.18 E£9.40

377.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$2.02 E£105

235.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$5.73 E£298

37.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.34 E£69.9

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.67 E£139

-11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.17 E£9.06

1617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.88

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.53 E£27.54

741.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.43 E£22.13

376.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.62

$2.00 E£104

1377.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.33 E£17.23

451.52%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$35.4K E£1.8M

9.64%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-1.03%

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

$189 €164

$11.36 E£591

1565.76%

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

$22.80 €19.77

$5.80 E£301

293.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.60

$9.94 E£517

278.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$22.08 E£1,148

161.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.39

$2.93 E£152

269.28%

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

$728 €632

$88.8 E£4,619

719.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$1,820 E£94.6K

711.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.9

$27.94 E£1,453

217.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.96

$49.40 E£2,569

-25.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$107 E£5,586

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$50.1 E£2,603

131.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,361

$192 E£9,982

717.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,057

$98.0 E£5,093

1143.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,424

$312 E£16.2K

795.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,713

$178 E£9,236

1012.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,724

$706 E£36.7K

998.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,489

$356 E£18.5K

1354.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,032

$95.8 E£4,980

2346.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-80.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $192 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2347% 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 Mersa Matruh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $130 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 391% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $476 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 2347% 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 $192 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $88.8 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 $16.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $476 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,337 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 391% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.