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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $482 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $784 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,086 in Qena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 385% more expensive than Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Qena is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.91 E£200

336.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$16.05 E£820

331.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.87 E£300

134.75%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.66 E£84.9

66.27%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.34 E£17.57

720.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.15 E£7.61

1226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.93 E£98.3

125.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.74 E£140

72.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.01 E£51.6

27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.61 E£31.13

236.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.69 E£35.47

188.41%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.10 E£107

61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$3.60 E£184

422.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.52 E£333

43.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.15 E£518

88.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.37 E£69.8

97.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.47 E£24.07

397.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.42 E£21.64

404.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.58 E£29.40

391.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.50 E£25.54

294.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.57 E£29.32

215.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.30 E£15.51

383.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.18 E£9.37

377.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.92 E£98.2

253.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.63 E£390

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.27 E£64.8

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.81 E£92.6

30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.18 E£9.24

1522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.41 E£21.00

987.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.13 E£6.61

1476.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.03 E£104

1355.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.35 E£17.93

420.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$17.9K E£915.4K

116.62%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-0.01%

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

$189 €163

$26.40 E£1,348

616.78%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$6.49 E£331

251.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$12.68 E£647

196.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$21.80 E£1,113

164.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.38 E£173

220.12%

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

$728 €628

$98.0 E£5,004

643.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$589 E£30.1K

2409.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$11.28 E£576

685.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$19.62 E£1,002

87.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$108 E£5,534

-5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$49.93 E£2,550

132.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$190 E£9,721

724.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$98.8 E£5,045

1133.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$308 E£15.7K

806.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$176 E£8,990

1022.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$866 E£44.2K

794.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$458 E£23.4K

1030.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Qena: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $190 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 $319 vs $147 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 385% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $482 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $723 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $190 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $98.0 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 $482 in Qena versus $2,337 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 385% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.