Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabah Al Salem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabah Al Salem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,317 in Sabah Al Salem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,234 in Sabah Al Salem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,151 in Sabah Al Salem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 79% more expensive than in Sabah Al Salem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sabah Al Salem is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.78 KWD 2.39

120.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$59.8 KWD 18.40

13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.41 KWD 2.59

62.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$5.54 KWD 1.70

-49.82%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.60 KWD 0.18

370.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.36 KWD 0.11

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.42 KWD 0.44

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.08 KWD 0.33

97.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.65 KWD 0.51

20.61%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.97 KWD 0.61

71.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$4.63 KWD 1.43

309.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.49 KWD 2.00

46.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.72 KWD 2.99

92.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.25 KWD 0.69

17.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.68 KWD 0.52

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.52 KWD 0.47

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.41 KWD 0.43

93.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.28 KWD 0.39

53.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.11 KWD 0.34

63.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.62 KWD 0.50

-6.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.43 KWD 0.13

106.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.64 KWD 1.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.01 KWD 0.93

125.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.88 KWD 0.27

230.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$43.78 KWD 13.47

-34.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.26 KWD 1.00

40.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.32 KWD 1.02

-38.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$16.13 KWD 4.96

78.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.34 KWD 0.10

435.29%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$20.8K KWD 6,383

89.47%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$18.9K KWD 5,816

71.75%

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

$187 €162

$62.7 KWD 19.28

197.80%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$18.64 KWD 5.73

19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$25.37 KWD 7.80

43.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$94.0 KWD 28.92

-38.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$45.82 KWD 14.09

-54.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$11.47 KWD 3.53

-6.10%

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

$725 €628

$285 KWD 87.7

154.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,128 KWD 1,885

147.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$42.99 KWD 13.22

104.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$42.97 KWD 13.22

-14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$87.7 KWD 26.97

17.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$83.3 KWD 25.63

42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$794 KWD 244

92.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$603 KWD 185

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,581 KWD 486

72.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,309 KWD 403

51.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,008 KWD 925

-20.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.14

-52.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $794 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $60.0 in Sabah Al Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $167 per month, with Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sabah Al Salem differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,317 including rent). Sabah Al Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Sabah Al Salem. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $794 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $285 in Sabah Al Salem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,317 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sabah Al Salem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.