Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sale Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $779 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,684 in Sale.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 200% more expensive than Sale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sale is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.55 MAD 42.09

275.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$32.89 MAD 304

110.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.80 MAD 62.9

102.65%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.98 MAD 18.35

39.39%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.69 MAD 6.36

304.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.40 MAD 3.73

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.42 MAD 50.2

-19.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.20 MAD 38.88

12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.95 MAD 8.79

35.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.57 MAD 5.31

259.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.87 MAD 17.26

6.42%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.96 MAD 18.17

72.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.06 MAD 121

44.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.01 MAD 55.6

55.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.03 MAD 111

58.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.52 MAD 14.06

77.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.32 MAD 12.23

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.92 MAD 8.50

130.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.89 MAD 8.21

220.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.80 MAD 7.38

146.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.80 MAD 7.45

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.39 MAD 3.62

271.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.59 MAD 5.44

45.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.36 MAD 40.30

55.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.84 MAD 44.74

63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.72 MAD 25.20

-48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.47 MAD 22.86

-4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.57 MAD 5.27

412.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$25.11 MAD 232

14.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.53 MAD 4.86

741.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.48 MAD 4.40

327.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.32 MAD 39.93

584.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.52 MAD 14.04

19.74%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$37.3K MAD 344.9K

4.13%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

11.83%

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

$189 €163

$32.93 MAD 305

474.64%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$11.00 MAD 102

107.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$45.34 MAD 419

-17.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$14.22 MAD 132

306.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$23.46 MAD 217

-11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.41 MAD 59.3

68.80%

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

$728 €628

$113 MAD 1,044

545.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,442 MAD 59.6K

129.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$43.49 MAD 402

103.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$50.8 MAD 470

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 MAD 994

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$98.8 MAD 914

17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$282 MAD 2,611

455.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$175 MAD 1,619

596.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$511 MAD 4,724

447.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$303 MAD 2,800

552.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

541.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$880 MAD 8,143

488.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$533 MAD 4,934

339.31%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sale: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $282 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 339% 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 $33.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $200 per month, with Sale 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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sale differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $779 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 339% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $282 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $113 in Sale. 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 $779 in Sale versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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 Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.