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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $869 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,515 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,161 in Rabat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 186% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Rabat is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$4.21 MAD 39.60

337.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$43.15 MAD 406

60.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.38 MAD 69.4

90.38%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.93 MAD 18.12

61.14%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.64 MAD 6.01

362.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.35 MAD 3.25

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.35 MAD 50.3

-25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.29 MAD 30.95

40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.85 MAD 8.03

55.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.68 MAD 6.40

210.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.89 MAD 17.73

-3.17%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.98 MAD 18.65

160.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$11.90 MAD 112

47.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.68 MAD 62.7

42.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$12.45 MAD 117

60.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.71 MAD 16.05

85.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.46 MAD 13.73

51.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.88 MAD 8.23

196.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.92 MAD 8.61

209.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.75 MAD 7.07

189.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.77 MAD 7.20

174.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.42 MAD 3.92

285.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.59 MAD 5.54

49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.23 MAD 39.71

69.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.84 MAD 73.7

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.68 MAD 25.18

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.69 MAD 25.24

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.55 MAD 5.19

470.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$26.52 MAD 249

-1.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.72 MAD 6.74

347.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.90 MAD 8.44

67.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$4.15 MAD 39.00

749.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 MAD 14.80

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$34.6K MAD 324.7K

6.11%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$31.5K MAD 295.8K

0.62%

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

$187 €161

$35.38 MAD 333

428.89%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.58 MAD 99.4

42.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$33.25 MAD 312

13.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$30.18 MAD 284

83.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$27.55 MAD 259

-39.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.52 MAD 61.3

79.60%

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

$1,011 €871

$186 MAD 1,745

444.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,068 MAD 66.4K

141.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$50.3 MAD 473

81.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.47 MAD 418

-7.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$93.4 MAD 878

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$69.0 MAD 648

82.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$519 MAD 4,877

228.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$278 MAD 2,609

368.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,114 MAD 10.5K

132.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$674 MAD 6,329

186.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,018 MAD 19.0K

283.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,187 MAD 11.2K

353.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$749 MAD 7,036

217.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.52

-30.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Rabat: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $519 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $210 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $869 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 217% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $519 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $186 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Rabat versus $2,482 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 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.