Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,839 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,519 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 104% more expensive than Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Port Elizabeth is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$9.00 R 147

95.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$44.72 R 731

53.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.30 R 86.7

165.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.23 R 36.38

24.66%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.17 R 19.19

139.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.04 R 16.93

98.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.50 R 40.81

78.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.95 R 48.28

56.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.12 R 18.23

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.93 R 15.22

118.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.43 R 23.31

34.27%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.49 R 40.66

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.86 R 129

134.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.86 R 79.5

95.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.05 R 132

138.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.68 R 27.42

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.41 R 23.12

73.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.59 R 25.96

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.62 R 26.49

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.50 R 24.45

36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.11 R 18.20

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.19 R 19.49

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.93 R 15.14

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.96 R 48.43

141.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.00 R 81.7

57.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.16 R 18.99

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.71 R 28.03

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.09 R 17.89

173.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$34.50 R 564

-15.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.68 R 43.75

71.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.44 R 7.26

370.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$8.04 R 131

262.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.29 R 21.05

42.64%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.5K R 384.7K

65.77%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$25.5K R 416.3K

28.41%

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

$188 €162

$118 R 1,925

59.52%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$32.46 R 531

-29.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$44.22 R 723

-16.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$28.98 R 474

97.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$20.80 R 340

-0.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.52 R 156

17.54%

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

$721 €621

$164 R 2,677

340.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,714 R 77.1K

219.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$66.6 R 1,089

29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$37.40 R 611

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.8 R 1,533

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$90.5 R 1,480

28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$587 R 9,589

161.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$448 R 7,319

172.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,115 R 18.2K

141.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$871 R 14.2K

131.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$776 R 12.7K

830.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$545 R 8,917

851.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,620 R 26.5K

45.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

12.04

-71.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 46% 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 $45.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $181 per month, with Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Port Elizabeth differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,158 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 46% 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 $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $164 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,158 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.