Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qabatiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qabatiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,073 in Qabatiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,751 in Qabatiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,428 in Qabatiyah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Qabatiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Qabatiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.42 ₪24.18

108.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$42.94 ₪123

59.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.20 ₪26.40

52.83%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.71 ₪10.64

-25.07%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.71 ₪2.04

294.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.57 ₪1.65

261.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.51 ₪15.83

-19.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.40 ₪15.50

-14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.99 ₪5.70

-37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.54 ₪1.56

275.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.74 ₪7.87

-29.93%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.62 ₪7.52

26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.06 ₪17.41

204.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.60 ₪18.95

43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.53 ₪44.59

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.35 ₪6.74

12.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.37 ₪3.93

78.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.37 ₪3.93

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.45 ₪4.16

96.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.08 ₪3.11

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.04 ₪3.00

77.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.49 ₪4.28

-1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.80 ₪2.29

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.59 ₪21.79

-5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.99 ₪8.57

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.56 ₪7.35

-9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.04 ₪2.97

186.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$59.6 ₪171

-50.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.87 ₪8.24

60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.32 ₪3.80

56.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$14.33 ₪41.13

103.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.91 ₪5.49

-3.66%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.7K ₪105.2K

6.45%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$44.7K ₪128.3K

-26.85%

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

$188 €162

$83.0 ₪238

126.43%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$18.01 ₪51.7

27.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$40.96 ₪118

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$57.5 ₪165

-0.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$28.53 ₪81.9

-27.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.63 ₪24.76

29.66%

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

$721 €621

$205 ₪589

251.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,023 ₪11.6K

273.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.71 ₪120

106.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.13 ₪124

-14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$55.6 ₪160

83.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$42.33 ₪122

173.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$513 ₪1,471

199.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$279 ₪800

338.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,021 ₪2,932

163.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$696 ₪1,998

189.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,053 ₪5,895

251.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,393 ₪3,999

272.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$691 ₪1,982

241.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.6

-70.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qabatiyah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $513 in Qabatiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 242% 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 $43.00 in Qabatiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $218 per month, with Qabatiyah 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 Qabatiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Qabatiyah differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,073 including rent). Qabatiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 242% 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 $513 in Qabatiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $205 in Qabatiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,073 in Qabatiyah versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qabatiyah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qabatiyah 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 Qabatiyah 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 Qabatiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.