Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,883 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,839 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,796 in Rabat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Rabat 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.07 €14.69

2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$70.7 €60.9

-3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.36 €9.78

23.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.45 €2.11

13.47%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.66 €2.29

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.69 €1.45

21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.51 €3.02

27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.39 €2.92

35.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.15 €0.99

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.28 €1.11

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.36 €2.03

-18.64%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.68 €3.17

-10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.22 €8.80

80.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.32 €7.17

14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$18.92 €16.29

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.31 €3.71

-38.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.35 €2.02

4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.27 €2.82

-35.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.26 €1.95

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.19 €1.02

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.19 €1.03

55.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.18 €1.02

24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.19 €1.02

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.53 €5.62

9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.44 €7.27

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.88 €1.62

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.30 €1.98

0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.81 €2.42

6.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.67 €4.89

-18.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.19 €3.61

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$49.43 €42.57

-40.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.52 €1.31

21.05%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.2K €32.9K

2.19%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$37.4K €32.2K

-12.52%

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

$188 €162

$94.2 €81.1

99.38%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$12.60 €10.85

81.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$45.84 €39.47

-19.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$69.3 €59.7

-17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$34.35 €29.58

-39.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.56 €9.09

5.97%

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

$721 €621

$435 €375

65.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.1K €9,574

35.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$90.1 €77.6

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$28.48 €24.53

30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$74.0 €63.7

37.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$103 €88.4

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,129 €972

35.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$956 €823

27.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,011 €1,732

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,509 €1,299

33.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,371 €3,764

65.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,116 €2,683

66.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,387 €1,194

70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.2

5.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rabat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,129 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 70% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Rabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $293, with Rabat cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rabat differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,883 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 70% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,129 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $435 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rabat – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,883 in Rabat versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat 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 Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.