Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $449 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $720 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $991 in Qalyub.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 427% more expensive than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Qalyub is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.61 E£188

386.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$16.06 E£833

326.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.69 E£243

199.79%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.50 E£78.1

85.33%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.31 E£16.31

803.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.12 E£6.36

1616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.27 E£65.8

251.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.70 E£140

70.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.84 E£43.64

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.59 E£30.67

244.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.67 E£34.60

186.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.44 E£74.5

129.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.38 E£175

445.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.26 E£221

122.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.42 E£437

127.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.46 E£75.9

80.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.57 E£29.61

329.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.43 E£22.12

393.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.36 E£18.93

691.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.41 E£21.13

397.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.40 E£20.74

362.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.24 E£12.53

512.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.19 E£9.82

342.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.95 E£101

266.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.62 E£292

40.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.22 E£63.4

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.76 E£91.6

31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.18 E£9.39

1555.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.39 E£19.99

1079.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.29 E£15.01

613.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$0.96 E£49.62

2939.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.30 E£15.79

513.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.0K E£1.8M

11.40%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.2K E£1.6M

8.41%

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

$188 €162

$11.14 E£578

1586.00%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$5.59 E£290

310.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$9.91 E£515

270.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$22.38 E£1,161

156.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$3.01 E£156

271.76%

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

$721 €621

$88.0 E£4,564

719.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,830 E£95.0K

722.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.74 E£1,439

210.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$44.04 E£2,286

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 E£5,566

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$50.1 E£2,602

131.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$193 E£10.0K

693.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$99.6 E£5,168

1125.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$309 E£16.0K

771.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$178 E£9,264

1027.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$776 E£40.3K

830.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$408 E£21.2K

1172.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.67

-79.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $193 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $120 per month, with Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Qalyub differ by about 427% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $449 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $673 in Qalyub 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $193 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $88.0 in Qalyub. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qalyub – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $449 in Qalyub versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qalyub but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qalyub 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 Qalyub 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 Qalyub gentler on the wallet – expenses run 427% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.