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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $465 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $755 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 398% more expensive than in Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Mersa Matruh is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$3.64 E£187

372.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$15.51 E£796

356.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$4.54 E£233

208.81%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$1.43 E£73.4

94.41%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.31 E£16.14

796.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.12 E£5.92

1608.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$1.21 E£62.0

273.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$3.01 E£154

55.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.81 E£41.68

59.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$0.74 E£37.89

189.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$0.66 E£33.97

192.42%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$1.44 E£73.7

142.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$3.85 E£197

381.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$4.33 E£222

120.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$9.45 E£485

100.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.43 E£73.4

83.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$0.54 E£27.72

333.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$0.42 E£21.63

395.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$0.36 E£18.54

691.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.40 E£20.64

390.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.41 E£20.82

351.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.22 E£11.22

595.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.21 E£10.75

328.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$1.94 E£99.5

248.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$5.77 E£296

35.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.36 E£69.7

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.56 E£132

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.20 E£10.14

1400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$0.52 E£26.87

780.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.46 E£23.66

363.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$2.02 E£104

1362.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.33 E£16.93

445.45%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$35.2K E£1.8M

9.33%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$33.2K E£1.7M

0.27%

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

$185 €163

$11.34 E£582

1530.25%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$5.61 E£288

304.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$10.20 E£523

260.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$22.52 E£1,155

156.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$3.03 E£155

257.43%

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

$727 €639

$89.0 E£4,567

716.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$1,816 E£93.2K

711.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$27.46 E£1,409

218.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$48.58 E£2,492

-23.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$110 E£5,649

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$50.0 E£2,566

137.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$187 E£9,574

736.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$101 E£5,157

1114.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$313 E£16.0K

777.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$178 E£9,106

1022.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$893 E£45.8K

738.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$405 E£20.8K

1186.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$99.2 E£5,090

2273.06%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $187 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2273% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Mersa Matruh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $128 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 398% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $465 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2273% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $187 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $89.0 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 $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $465 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,316 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 398% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.