Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,573 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,253 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,933 in Sharjah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 49% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Sharjah 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.36 AED 19.70

218.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$32.97 AED 121

110.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.06 AED 33.29

52.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 AED 34.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 AED 35.42

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.21 AED 15.48

-34.44%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.01 AED 3.72

176.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.35 AED 1.28

468.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.70 AED 6.24

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.19 AED 4.36

72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.04 AED 7.50

-2.45%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.73 AED 10.04

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.18 AED 37.38

84.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.96 AED 25.56

34.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$8.46 AED 31.08

126.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.83 AED 6.73

47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.48 AED 5.42

58.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.49 AED 5.48

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.23 AED 4.51

131.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.01 AED 3.71

95.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.21 AED 4.46

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.52 AED 5.60

-4.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.64 AED 2.35

34.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.76 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 AED 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.29 AED 23.11

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.60 AED 5.88

82.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$41.57 AED 153

-30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.77 AED 13.84

18.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 AED 2.59

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$5.04 AED 18.49

486.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.82 AED 3.01

121.95%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$45.1K AED 165.5K

-13.81%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

49.48%

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

$189 €163

$200 AED 734

-5.25%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$65.9 AED 242

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$103 AED 379

-63.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$62.9 AED 231

-8.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$37.58 AED 138

-44.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.73 AED 46.75

-15.00%

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

$728 €628

$275 AED 1,011

164.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,018 AED 22.1K

145.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$51.4 AED 189

72.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$97.2 AED 357

-62.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$96.0 AED 353

6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$80.4 AED 295

44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$775 AED 2,845

102.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$603 AED 2,215

102.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,613 AED 5,923

73.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,026 AED 3,768

92.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$8,277 AED 30.4K

-6.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,688 AED 9,872

92.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,281 AED 8,377

2.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.42

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $775 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3% 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 Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $188 per month, with Sharjah 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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sharjah differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,573 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 3% 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 $775 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $275 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah 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 Sharjah 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 Sharjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.