Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ndola Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ndola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $722 in Ndola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,700 in Ndola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,678 in Ndola.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 228% more expensive than Ndola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ndola is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.10 ZMW 127

147.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.46 ZMW 437

179.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.66 ZMW 65.3

284.15%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.94 ZMW 34.61

43.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.38 ZMW 6.70

636.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.17 ZMW 3.09

1111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.94 ZMW 16.76

374.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.84 ZMW 32.88

150.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.24 ZMW 22.15

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.79 ZMW 14.08

156.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.57 ZMW 28.09

22.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.26 ZMW 22.58

162.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.55 ZMW 135

144.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

140.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$4.69 ZMW 83.8

308.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.23 ZMW 21.87

114.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.65 ZMW 29.45

48.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.78 ZMW 49.57

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.17 ZMW 20.94

143.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.80 ZMW 32.20

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.32 ZMW 23.49

40.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.92 ZMW 16.36

59.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 ZMW 9.12

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.50 ZMW 44.66

185.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$10.85 ZMW 194

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 ZMW 20.36

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.56 ZMW 27.88

48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.55 ZMW 9.90

441.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.83 ZMW 32.63

151.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.44 ZMW 168

209.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.19 ZMW 21.31

54.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$8,120 ZMW 144.9K

380.44%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$28.0K ZMW 500.4K

16.65%

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

$188 €162

$91.8 ZMW 1,638

104.62%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$36.35 ZMW 649

-36.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$124 ZMW 2,206

-70.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.06 ZMW 72.5

175.62%

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

$721 €620

$173 ZMW 3,095

315.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,711 ZMW 173.3K

54.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$19.00 ZMW 339

353.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$17.14 ZMW 306

116.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$84.6 ZMW 1,510

20.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$73.2 ZMW 1,307

58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$126 ZMW 2,253

1115.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$109 ZMW 1,953

1015.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$266 ZMW 4,753

912.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,481 ZMW 26.4K

35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$610 ZMW 10.9K

286.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-86.44%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ndola: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $126 in Ndola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 287% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Ndola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $170 per month, with Ndola 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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ndola differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $722 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 287% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $126 in Ndola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $173 in Ndola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ndola – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $722 in Ndola versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ndola but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ndola 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 Ndola 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 Ndola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.