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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,387 in Shaab.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,337 in Shaab.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,288 in Shaab.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 69% more expensive than Shaab, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Shaab 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.99 KWD 3.07

76.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$80.5 KWD 24.71

-14.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.25 KWD 2.84

48.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 KWD 1.12

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$6.04 KWD 1.85

-54.30%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.70 KWD 0.21

297.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.38 KWD 0.12

439.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.55 KWD 0.48

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.24 KWD 0.38

70.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.79 KWD 0.55

10.06%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.11 KWD 0.65

63.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$5.16 KWD 1.58

264.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.33 KWD 1.94

49.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.29 KWD 3.16

84.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.47 KWD 0.76

10.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.92 KWD 0.59

23.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.78 KWD 0.55

16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.45 KWD 0.44

90.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.23 KWD 0.38

60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.27 KWD 0.39

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.67 KWD 0.51

-9.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.46 KWD 0.14

95.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.03 KWD 0.93

123.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.88 KWD 0.27

244.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$43.44 KWD 13.34

-34.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.19 KWD 0.98

38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$3.27 KWD 1.00

-37.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$16.08 KWD 4.94

82.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.33 KWD 0.10

472.73%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$21.5K KWD 6,613

79.85%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.2K KWD 6,201

60.21%

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

$189 €161

$63.0 KWD 19.34

199.30%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$18.28 KWD 5.61

21.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$25.72 KWD 7.90

43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$95.8 KWD 29.41

-39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$46.65 KWD 14.32

-55.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$11.30 KWD 3.47

-2.21%

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

$726 €622

$398 KWD 122

82.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,609 KWD 2,029

130.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$42.60 KWD 13.08

107.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$41.66 KWD 12.79

-11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$86.3 KWD 26.48

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$80.8 KWD 24.81

47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$791 KWD 243

93.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$611 KWD 188

99.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,578 KWD 484

77.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,273 KWD 391

59.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$3,200 KWD 982

-24.87%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shaab: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $791 in Shaab. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 33% 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 $80.0 in Shaab. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $178, with Shaab cheaper for home cooking.

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 69% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,387 including rent). Shaab is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shaab earns 33% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $791 in Shaab. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $398 in Shaab. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,387 in Shaab versus $2,341 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 69% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.