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 $908 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,593 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,279 in Rabat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Rabat is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.63 MAD 42.54

279.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$48.79 MAD 448

40.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.80 MAD 62.5

106.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.96 MAD 18.04

41.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.61 MAD 5.61

359.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.38 MAD 3.48

442.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.47 MAD 50.2

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.21 MAD 38.67

9.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.82 MAD 7.51

51.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.48 MAD 4.40

322.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.97 MAD 18.11

-2.54%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.93 MAD 17.76

71.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.17 MAD 121

39.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.94 MAD 63.8

36.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.92 MAD 110

60.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.61 MAD 14.83

63.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.38 MAD 12.68

77.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.83 MAD 7.61

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.81 MAD 7.44

251.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.68 MAD 6.25

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.71 MAD 6.51

160.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.40 MAD 3.64

267.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.63 MAD 5.77

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.39 MAD 40.35

62.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.08 MAD 74.3

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.70 MAD 24.85

-48.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.47 MAD 22.73

-6.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.57 MAD 5.23

422.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$27.06 MAD 249

8.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.57 MAD 5.27

707.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.83 MAD 7.63

149.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$4.46 MAD 41.02

554.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.54 MAD 14.11

19.48%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.9K MAD 338.7K

5.86%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.8K MAD 273.8K

9.75%

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

$188 €162

$41.32 MAD 380

354.55%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$11.26 MAD 103

103.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$39.59 MAD 364

-7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$30.30 MAD 278

89.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$29.31 MAD 269

-29.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.56 MAD 60.3

70.58%

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

$721 €620

$158 MAD 1,448

357.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,396 MAD 58.8K

135.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$52.4 MAD 482

64.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$48.76 MAD 448

-23.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 MAD 990

-5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$97.1 MAD 892

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$460 MAD 4,226

233.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$269 MAD 2,471

353.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,103 MAD 10.1K

144.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$727 MAD 6,680

176.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,105 MAD 19.3K

242.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,209 MAD 11.1K

329.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$745 MAD 6,843

216.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.81

-29.52%

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 $460 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 217% 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 $49.00 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $209 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 161% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $908 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 217% 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 $460 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $158 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Rabat versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 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 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.