Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabratha Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabratha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $401 in Sabratha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $595 in Sabratha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $789 in Sabratha.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 519% more expensive than in Sabratha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sabratha is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.14 LYD 19.82

486.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$9.28 LYD 58.6

647.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$1.61 LYD 10.18

772.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 LYD 3.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$0.47 LYD 2.98

561.70%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.30 LYD 1.87

886.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.08 LYD 0.49

2337.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.94 LYD 5.94

40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.22 LYD 1.39

859.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.13 LYD 7.14

61.95%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.35 LYD 8.49

282.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$4.98 LYD 31.44

252.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.26 LYD 20.55

191.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.59 LYD 60.6

107.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.00 LYD 12.63

58.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.55 LYD 9.80

42.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.77 LYD 4.83

238.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.51 LYD 3.24

458.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.46 LYD 2.89

371.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.32 LYD 2.05

559.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.32 LYD 2.03

406.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.15 LYD 0.92

486.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 LYD 11.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LYD 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 LYD 5.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$1.85 LYD 11.67

287.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.82 LYD 5.20

282.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.81 LYD 5.10

297.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.30 LYD 1.89

403.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$0.82 LYD 5.20

4200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.02 LYD 0.14

8650.00%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$23.4K LYD 147.6K

56.73%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$14.2K LYD 89.6K

123.11%

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

$187 €161

$95.0 LYD 599

97.07%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$3.87 LYD 24.40

290.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$13.89 LYD 87.7

170.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$11.04 LYD 69.7

402.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$7.73 LYD 48.76

116.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

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

$1,011 €871

$38.67 LYD 244

2513.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$607 LYD 3,832

2711.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$20.00 LYD 126

356.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$17.29 LYD 109

137.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$55.6 LYD 351

99.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$15.56 LYD 98.2

710.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$156 LYD 985

991.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$78.3 LYD 494

1558.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$240 LYD 1,518

976.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$110 LYD 696

1649.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$287 LYD 1,812

2593.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$186 LYD 1,175

2791.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$188 LYD 1,189

1160.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sabratha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $156 in Sabratha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1160% 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 $9.00 in Sabratha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $112 per month, with Sabratha 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 Sabratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sabratha differ by about 519% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $401 including rent). Sabratha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1160% 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 $156 in Sabratha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $38.67 in Sabratha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sabratha – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $401 in Sabratha versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sabratha but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sabratha 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 Sabratha 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 Sabratha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 519% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.