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 $911 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,576 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,240 in Rabat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 155% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Rabat is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$4.73 MAD 44.09

273.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$48.72 MAD 454

43.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$6.67 MAD 62.2

112.29%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.04 MAD 19.02

37.25%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.63 MAD 5.86

346.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.41 MAD 3.78

402.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$5.63 MAD 52.5

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$4.17 MAD 38.93

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$0.86 MAD 8.06

43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.47 MAD 4.36

331.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.87 MAD 17.43

5.88%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.92 MAD 17.94

81.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$12.96 MAD 121

41.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$7.15 MAD 66.7

37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$11.93 MAD 111

60.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.55 MAD 14.42

76.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.44 MAD 13.40

65.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.82 MAD 7.67

153.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.79 MAD 7.37

248.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.72 MAD 6.68

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.70 MAD 6.49

155.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.42 MAD 3.95

252.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.64 MAD 5.92

42.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$4.39 MAD 40.92

62.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$7.66 MAD 71.4

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.71 MAD 25.29

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.45 MAD 22.83

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.53 MAD 4.93

467.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$27.66 MAD 258

6.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$0.53 MAD 4.92

722.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.88 MAD 8.23

142.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$4.33 MAD 40.34

583.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.52 MAD 14.22

19.74%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$37.3K MAD 348.0K

1.51%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$29.6K MAD 276.0K

9.39%

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

$189 €165

$41.99 MAD 392

350.18%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$10.87 MAD 101

105.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$39.97 MAD 373

-7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$30.61 MAD 285

89.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$28.43 MAD 265

-27.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$6.49 MAD 60.5

67.49%

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

$706 €617

$160 MAD 1,490

341.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,628 MAD 61.8K

124.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$53.7 MAD 501

66.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$49.14 MAD 458

-25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$109 MAD 1,015

-4.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$98.0 MAD 914

21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$459 MAD 4,279

244.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$259 MAD 2,414

378.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,120 MAD 10.4K

142.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$746 MAD 6,955

173.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$2,090 MAD 19.5K

260.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$1,204 MAD 11.2K

335.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$739 MAD 6,891

219.89%

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: 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 $459 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 220% 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 $49.00 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $911 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 220% 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 $459 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $160 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $911 in Rabat versus $2,320 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 155% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.