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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,167 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,849 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,532 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Port Elizabeth is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$8.89 R 147

98.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$44.06 R 729

58.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$5.36 R 88.8

164.18%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.14 R 35.47

30.84%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.14 R 18.83

146.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.00 R 16.50

106.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.56 R 42.41

79.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.02 R 50.0

55.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.12 R 18.53

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.95 R 15.78

113.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.50 R 24.80

32.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.45 R 40.59

42.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$7.79 R 129

135.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$4.74 R 78.5

107.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$8.03 R 133

138.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.64 R 27.08

66.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.42 R 23.56

67.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.63 R 27.01

27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.63 R 26.91

68.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.55 R 25.73

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.12 R 18.58

59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.17 R 19.43

26.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.01 R 16.68

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.95 R 48.75

141.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$4.86 R 80.4

62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.10 R 18.22

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.72 R 28.40

38.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.13 R 18.74

166.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$34.27 R 567

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.67 R 44.18

63.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.45 R 7.47

373.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$7.95 R 132

272.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.27 R 20.98

43.31%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$23.9K R 396.2K

58.33%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.8K R 426.5K

25.68%

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

$189 €165

$114 R 1,892

65.41%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$31.86 R 527

-30.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$44.72 R 740

-16.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$29.14 R 482

99.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$21.28 R 352

-2.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$9.73 R 161

11.72%

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

$706 €618

$168 R 2,783

319.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,835 R 80.0K

207.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$67.2 R 1,112

33.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$37.20 R 616

-1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$96.6 R 1,600

7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$89.0 R 1,472

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$584 R 9,670

170.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$438 R 7,243

182.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,097 R 18.2K

147.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$870 R 14.4K

134.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$772 R 12.8K

875.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$525 R 8,697

897.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,623 R 26.9K

45.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $584 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,167 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $584 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $168 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,167 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,320 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 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.