Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sale

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $635 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Sale
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Sale Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Sale

🇲🇦 Morocco

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sale

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Sale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $635 in Sale.

Barcelona $2,399
Sale $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $1,044 in Sale.

Barcelona $3,410
Sale $1,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $1,453 in Sale.

Barcelona $4,421
Sale $1,453

Living in Barcelona is roughly 278% more expensive than in Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Sale is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$3.63 MAD 35.42

394.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$17.82 MAD 174

281.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$7.19 MAD 70.1

84.70%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$1.76 MAD 17.20

84.66%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$0.60 MAD 5.81

401.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.32 MAD 3.16

484.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$2.63 MAD 25.63

46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$3.05 MAD 29.76

46.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.90 MAD 8.77

43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$0.65 MAD 6.36

213.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.90 MAD 18.57

-9.47%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$1.86 MAD 18.10

156.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$11.31 MAD 110

48.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$6.89 MAD 67.2

29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$12.38 MAD 121

60.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$1.34 MAD 13.05

122.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.18 MAD 11.48

72.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$0.84 MAD 8.23

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$0.90 MAD 8.76

197.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.68 MAD 6.62

208.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$0.73 MAD 7.15

184.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.47 MAD 4.58

208.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.62 MAD 6.03

43.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$3.75 MAD 36.51

85.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$4.74 MAD 46.23

64.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.23 MAD 21.75

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.13 MAD 20.81

20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$0.55 MAD 5.32

443.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$23.03 MAD 225

9.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.69 MAD 6.78

352.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.50 MAD 4.85

188.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$4.03 MAD 39.30

731.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.48 MAD 14.46

20.95%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$31.0K MAD 301.9K

11.83%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$30.8K MAD 300.4K

-2.42%

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

$178 €158

$37.71 MAD 368

371.63%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$10.53 MAD 103

26.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$40.93 MAD 399

-14.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$16.62 MAD 162

220.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

$40.69 MAD 397

-60.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$5.29 MAD 51.6

109.07%

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

$957 €851

$104 MAD 1,010

824.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$5,903 MAD 57.6K

180.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$32.27 MAD 315

173.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$46.59 MAD 454

-15.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$71.9 MAD 701

42.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$66.4 MAD 648

82.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$208 MAD 2,025

695.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$102 MAD 994

1176.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$356 MAD 3,473

617.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$260 MAD 2,532

637.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

546.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$838 MAD 8,167

506.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$516 MAD 5,033

341.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

-34.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Sale

$102 16.1% 92.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Sale

$195 30.8% 39% $125

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Sale

$95 14.9% 64.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Sale

$89 14.1% 60.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Sale

$98 15.4% 38.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Sale

$27 4.3% 63.9% $48

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Sale

$28 4.5% 40.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $208 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 342% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $195 per month, with Sale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇲🇦 Sale

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

1 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

890,403

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Sale 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Sale

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 278% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $635 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 342% 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $208 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $104 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $635 in Sale versus $2,399 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 278% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.