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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,900 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,823 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,747 in Rabat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 22% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Rabat 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.60 €15.41

0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$69.5 €60.8

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.35 €9.94

24.76%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.37 €2.08

18.14%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.65 €2.32

6.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.77 €1.55

16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.46 €3.03

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.54 €3.10

32.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.14 €1.00

7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.25 €1.09

62.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.25 €1.97

-12.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.76 €3.29

-7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.35 €9.07

77.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.29 €7.26

18.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$19.38 €16.97

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.45 €3.90

-38.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.36 €2.07

0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.36 €2.95

-38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.30 €2.01

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.13 €0.99

73.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.19 €1.05

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.19 €1.04

24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.19 €1.04

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.63 €5.81

7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.27 €7.24

-4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.87 €1.64

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.26 €1.98

5.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.97 €2.60

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.94 €5.20

-26.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.25 €3.72

-49.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$49.49 €43.34

-40.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.51 €1.32

20.53%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$38.8K €34.0K

-2.42%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$38.1K €33.4K

-15.08%

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

$189 €166

$92.8 €81.3

103.70%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$12.79 €11.21

74.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$44.68 €39.13

-16.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$69.2 €60.6

-16.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$34.97 €30.62

-40.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.36 €9.07

4.92%

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

$706 €618

$430 €376

64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.0K €9,591

35.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$90.6 €79.4

-1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$28.70 €25.13

27.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.6 €65.3

39.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$100 €87.9

18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,152 €1,009

36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$932 €816

32.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,993 €1,746

36.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,534 €1,344

32.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,061 €3,556

85.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,107 €2,721

68.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,366 €1,196

73.07%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rabat: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,152 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 73% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $295 per month, with Rabat 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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rabat differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,900 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,152 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $430 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 $69.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,900 in Rabat versus $2,320 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 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.