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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $751 in Ndola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,768 in Ndola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,784 in Ndola.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 232% more expensive than in Ndola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Ndola is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$5.75 ZMW 110

219.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$31.73 ZMW 608

118.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$5.13 ZMW 98.2

175.44%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.89 ZMW 55.4

8.30%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.56 ZMW 10.63

439.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.25 ZMW 4.75

684.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.29 ZMW 24.64

210.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$2.35 ZMW 45.02

102.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.74 ZMW 33.29

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.19 ZMW 22.76

81.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.14 ZMW 41.01

-21.03%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.65 ZMW 31.56

198.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$10.73 ZMW 205

66.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.47 ZMW 124

48.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$6.81 ZMW 130

183.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.59 ZMW 30.49

103.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.51 ZMW 48.00

-13.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.76 ZMW 72.0

-28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.65 ZMW 31.61

67.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.61 ZMW 49.89

-15.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.95 ZMW 37.32

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.16 ZMW 22.22

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.66 ZMW 12.54

39.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.12 ZMW 59.7

128.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$10.45 ZMW 200

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.52 ZMW 29.17

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.42 ZMW 46.43

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.75 ZMW 14.41

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.60 ZMW 49.81

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.56 ZMW 29.85

-3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$5.22 ZMW 99.9

568.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.47 ZMW 28.20

19.05%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$7,874 ZMW 150.8K

365.59%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$27.2K ZMW 520.4K

13.85%

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

$188 €161

$84.6 ZMW 1,620

121.81%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$10.89 ZMW 209

41.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$57.9 ZMW 1,109

-34.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$6.17 ZMW 118

87.68%

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

$1,003 €863

$143 ZMW 2,732

602.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$16.7K ZMW 320.4K

1.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$24.07 ZMW 461

270.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$16.45 ZMW 315

148.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$47.47 ZMW 909

131.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$75.9 ZMW 1,453

61.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$181 ZMW 3,474

822.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$157 ZMW 3,009

747.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$388 ZMW 7,439

568.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,519 ZMW 29.1K

28.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$591 ZMW 11.3K

306.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-89.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ndola: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $181 in Ndola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 307% 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 $32.00 in Ndola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $233 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 232% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $751 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 307% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $181 in Ndola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $143 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $751 in Ndola versus $2,495 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 232% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.