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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,259 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,146 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,033 in Qairawan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than in Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Qairawan is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$7.97 KWD 2.44

131.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$59.1 KWD 18.12

17.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.29 KWD 2.54

69.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 KWD 0.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$5.07 KWD 1.55

-38.66%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.56 KWD 0.17

428.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.38 KWD 0.12

413.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.32 KWD 0.41

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.85 KWD 0.26

148.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.90 KWD 0.58

-3.68%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.06 KWD 0.63

150.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$4.41 KWD 1.35

298.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.63 KWD 1.73

68.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$10.40 KWD 3.19

91.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.44 KWD 0.75

29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.92 KWD 0.59

15.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.32 KWD 0.41

97.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.54 KWD 0.47

85.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.39 KWD 0.43

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.96 KWD 0.29

119.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.61 KWD 0.49

0.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.47 KWD 0.14

87.23%

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)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.69 KWD 0.82

166.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.78 KWD 0.24

302.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.30 KWD 1.01

-2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.32 KWD 1.02

-54.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$16.45 KWD 5.04

114.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.35 KWD 0.11

400.00%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$21.3K KWD 6,524

72.29%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$20.4K KWD 6,259

55.15%

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

$187 €161

$65.0 KWD 19.93

187.83%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$21.21 KWD 6.50

-28.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$29.58 KWD 9.07

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$96.0 KWD 29.43

-42.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$11.12 KWD 3.41

5.31%

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

$1,011 €871

$275 KWD 84.3

267.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,505 KWD 2,301

127.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$37.86 KWD 11.61

141.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$39.21 KWD 12.02

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$97.7 KWD 29.96

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$87.5 KWD 26.84

44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$720 KWD 221

136.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$586 KWD 180

121.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,771 KWD 543

46.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,369 KWD 420

40.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.53

-51.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $720 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Qairawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $165 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,259 including rent). Qairawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,888 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $720 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $275 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qairawan – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Qairawan versus $2,482 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 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.