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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $469 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $749 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 431% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Qalyub is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$4.29 E£218

328.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$16.77 E£853

312.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$4.78 E£243

195.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$1.36 E£69.4

130.15%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.32 E£16.25

843.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.14 E£6.88

1300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.34 E£68.3

198.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.30 E£117

106.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.91 E£46.11

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.71 E£36.32

204.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.66 E£33.53

156.06%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.21 E£61.6

307.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.38

$3.77 E£192

374.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$4.48 E£228

114.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.64 E£491

100.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.63 E£83.0

98.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.73 E£37.25

198.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.58 E£29.70

360.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$0.35 E£17.89

691.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.25 E£12.58

784.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.31 E£15.62

606.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.29 E£14.81

424.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.20 E£10.16

360.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.96 E£99.6

263.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.78 E£294

40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.30 E£66.3

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.15 E£109

29.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.20 E£10.07

1475.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.40 E£20.35

712.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.20 E£10.07

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$1.60 E£81.6

2080.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.47 E£23.86

272.34%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.2K E£1.7M

10.46%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$28.9K E£1.5M

7.19%

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

$188 €161

$14.30 E£727

1212.10%

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

$15.44 €13.28

$7.36 E£375

109.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.50

$13.74 E£699

175.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.17

$19.22 E£978

197.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$1.03 E£52.2

1531.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$2.89 E£147

300.69%

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

$1,003 €862

$85.9 E£4,372

1066.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$2,192 E£111.5K

676.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$32.63 E£1,660

173.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$44.97 E£2,287

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$118 E£6,028

-7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$53.9 E£2,741

127.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,439

$142 E£7,223

1078.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$80.1 E£4,075

1562.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$268 E£13.7K

866.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,677

$151 E£7,706

1187.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$787 E£40.1K

861.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$436 E£22.2K

1131.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

16.21

-80.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $142 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $130 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 431% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $469 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $704 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $142 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $85.9 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 $17.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $469 in Qalyub versus $2,495 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 431% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.