Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qairawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qairawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,318 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,238 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,157 in Qairawan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 76% more expensive than in Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Qairawan is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.72 KWD 2.39

128.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$58.5 KWD 18.14

19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.76 KWD 2.71

61.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 KWD 1.05

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.34 KWD 1.65

-47.57%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.58 KWD 0.18

384.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.36 KWD 0.11

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.47 KWD 0.46

-16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.10 KWD 0.34

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.65 KWD 0.51

20.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.04 KWD 0.63

71.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$4.38 KWD 1.36

318.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.41 KWD 1.99

53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.52 KWD 2.95

100.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.30 KWD 0.71

18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.60 KWD 0.50

48.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.53 KWD 0.47

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.43 KWD 0.44

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.27 KWD 0.39

54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.11 KWD 0.34

61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.61 KWD 0.50

-8.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.45 KWD 0.14

102.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.92 KWD 0.90

144.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.88 KWD 0.27

242.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$44.22 KWD 13.70

-33.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.24 KWD 1.00

34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.20 KWD 0.99

-33.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$16.54 KWD 5.12

78.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.34 KWD 0.11

435.29%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.1K KWD 6,216

88.91%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$19.4K KWD 6,020

66.69%

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

$189 €166

$62.1 KWD 19.25

204.30%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.09 KWD 5.61

23.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$26.13 KWD 8.10

42.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$95.3 KWD 29.54

-39.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$46.20 KWD 14.32

-55.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.65 KWD 3.61

-6.70%

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

$706 €618

$279 KWD 86.5

153.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,047 KWD 1,874

145.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$41.38 KWD 12.82

116.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$42.79 KWD 13.26

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$86.4 KWD 26.77

20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$83.2 KWD 25.79

43.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$796 KWD 247

98.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$608 KWD 188

103.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,582 KWD 490

71.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,285 KWD 398

58.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.14

-52.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $796 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Qairawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $167 per month, with Qairawan 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 Qairawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Qairawan differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,318 including rent). Qairawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,978 in Qairawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $796 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $279 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,318 in Qairawan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qairawan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qairawan 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 Qairawan 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 Qairawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.