Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shaab Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shaab

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,348 in Shaab.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,300 in Shaab.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,252 in Shaab.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 84% more expensive than in Shaab, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Shaab is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$11.28 KWD 3.46

66.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$64.2 KWD 19.72

8.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.06 KWD 2.78

51.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 KWD 1.49

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.32 KWD 1.63

-41.73%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.75 KWD 0.23

277.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 KWD 0.09

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 KWD 0.51

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.54 KWD 0.47

40.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.92 KWD 0.59

-8.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.08 KWD 0.64

146.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$4.43 KWD 1.36

303.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.79 KWD 2.09

42.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.11 KWD 3.10

99.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.45 KWD 0.75

32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.85 KWD 0.57

20.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.88 KWD 0.58

38.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.55 KWD 0.48

78.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.31 KWD 0.40

68.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.50 KWD 0.46

41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.34 KWD 0.72

-33.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.59 KWD 0.18

61.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.80 KWD 0.86

162.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.77 KWD 0.24

303.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.97 KWD 1.53

-34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.21 KWD 0.99

-53.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$15.98 KWD 4.91

114.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.35 KWD 0.11

394.29%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.5K KWD 6,592

69.36%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.7K KWD 6,342

47.85%

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

$187 €163

$65.2 KWD 20.00

187.15%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.06 KWD 7.08

-34.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$30.46 KWD 9.35

23.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$97.9 KWD 30.07

-42.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.33 KWD 3.48

0.71%

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

$997 €869

$297 KWD 91.3

235.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,547 KWD 2,931

73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$38.11 KWD 11.70

143.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$40.20 KWD 12.34

2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$97.8 KWD 30.04

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.4 KWD 26.83

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$724 KWD 222

135.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$582 KWD 179

121.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,749 KWD 537

46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,335 KWD 410

45.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,253 KWD 999

-27.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.53

-51.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Shaab: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $724 in Shaab. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $64.0 in Shaab for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $188 per month, with Shaab 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 Shaab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shaab differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,348 including rent). Shaab is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Shaab. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $724 in Shaab. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $297 in Shaab. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shaab – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,348 in Shaab versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shaab but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shaab 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 Shaab 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 Shaab gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.