Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $493 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $772 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,052 in Qena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 375% more expensive than Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Qena is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.93 E£209

348.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$15.55 E£824

341.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.08 E£322

126.15%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.62 E£85.8

70.37%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.35 E£18.47

694.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.14 E£7.66

1364.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.02 E£107

128.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.64 E£140

73.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.00 E£53.2

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.58 E£30.64

263.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.71 E£37.54

177.46%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.08 E£110

65.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$3.40 E£180

453.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.43 E£341

46.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.82 E£520

93.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.34 E£70.8

102.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.43 E£22.93

451.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.42 E£22.48

395.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.62 E£32.70

345.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.49 E£26.19

302.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.54 E£28.51

231.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.30 E£15.97

403.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.20 E£10.64

350.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$1.93 E£102

250.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.46 E£396

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.20 E£63.8

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.83 E£97.2

31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.21 E£10.90

1342.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.39 E£20.57

1035.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.14 E£7.58

1364.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.01 E£106

1359.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.35 E£18.76

440.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$17.7K E£937.2K

119.12%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$32.9K E£1.7M

-1.65%

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

$189 €161

$25.92 E£1,374

627.58%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$6.56 E£348

238.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$12.70 E£673

189.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$22.24 E£1,179

160.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.38 E£179

226.92%

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

$726 €622

$100 E£5,308

625.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$595 E£31.5K

2459.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$11.35 E£602

678.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$19.58 E£1,038

88.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$107 E£5,666

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$50.4 E£2,669

136.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$192 E£10.2K

694.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$97.7 E£5,176

1147.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$305 E£16.1K

817.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$181 E£9,600

1019.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$667 E£35.4K

963.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$368 E£19.5K

1218.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-66.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $192 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $144 per month, with Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Qena differ by about 375% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $493 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $739 in Qena 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $192 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $100 in Qena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qena – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $493 in Qena versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qena 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 Qena 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 Qena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 375% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.