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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $491 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $778 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,064 in Qena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 380% more expensive than in Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Qena is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.84 E£193

346.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$15.69 E£789

333.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.90 E£297

131.19%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.65 E£83.2

68.48%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.35 E£17.54

705.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.15 E£7.64

1206.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.03 E£102

118.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.62 E£132

75.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.93 E£46.99

36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.57 E£28.84

273.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.70 E£35.17

184.29%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.18 E£109

54.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$3.55 E£179

434.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.53 E£329

45.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.13 E£509

84.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.33 E£66.7

99.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.43 E£21.82

446.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.43 E£21.53

386.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.62 E£31.04

340.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.49 E£24.85

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.57 E£28.71

217.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.30 E£15.11

403.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.18 E£9.04

394.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.02 E£101

235.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.38 E£371

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.20 E£60.6

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.77 E£88.9

35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.21 E£10.32

1285.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.42 E£21.00

990.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.15 E£7.55

1260.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$1.97 E£99.0

1357.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.33 E£16.54

451.52%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$17.4K E£874.0K

126.28%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-1.58%

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

$187 €162

$25.92 E£1,304

620.02%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$6.45 E£324

245.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$12.50 E£629

190.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$21.89 E£1,101

162.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.50 E£176

207.71%

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

$725 €628

$97.9 E£4,924

640.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$590 E£29.7K

2468.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$11.18 E£563

685.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$19.37 E£974

90.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$107 E£5,393

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$50.4 E£2,537

135.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$190 E£9,547

702.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$101 E£5,099

1110.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$312 E£15.7K

775.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$179 E£8,981

1011.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$842 E£42.3K

787.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$437 E£22.0K

1098.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $190 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $145 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 380% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $491 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $737 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $190 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $97.9 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $491 in Qena versus $2,359 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 380% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.