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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $1,865 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $2,636 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $3,406 in Sharjah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Sharjah 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$6.05 AED 22.22

210.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$32.05 AED 118

116.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$8.20 AED 30.10

71.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 AED 35.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.50 AED 34.90

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$3.41 AED 12.52

-8.50%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.87 AED 3.20

234.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.29 AED 1.05

544.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.55 AED 5.71

-23.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.15 AED 4.24

85.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.85 AED 6.81

-0.54%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$2.83 AED 10.39

81.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$9.13 AED 33.52

79.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$6.92 AED 25.43

40.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$11.55 AED 42.43

70.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.15 AED 7.91

45.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.64 AED 6.02

32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.50 AED 5.51

64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.32 AED 4.84

109.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.10 AED 4.03

92.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.14 AED 4.18

95.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.55 AED 5.69

-3.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.58 AED 2.13

56.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.78 AED 58.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 AED 9.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$6.55 AED 24.05

10.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$2.20 AED 8.06

39.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$41.36 AED 152

-37.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$3.63 AED 13.31

-7.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.60 AED 2.19

213.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$11.74 AED 43.13

197.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.90 AED 3.29

93.33%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$45.6K AED 167.6K

-19.99%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$21.9K AED 80.3K

44.20%

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

$183 €156

$225 AED 827

-18.78%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$49.27 AED 181

-68.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$94.8 AED 348

-61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$54.7 AED 201

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$22.35 AED 82.1

-23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$13.60 AED 49.94

-15.37%

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

$952 €815

$308 AED 1,130

209.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$8,375 AED 30.8K

93.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$58.8 AED 216

40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$76.3 AED 280

-46.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$110 AED 403

-1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$93.3 AED 343

34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$761 AED 2,795

119.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$859 AED 3,155

49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$1,753 AED 6,436

51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$1,464 AED 5,378

30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$8,048 AED 29.6K

-6.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$2,705 AED 9,933

91.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$2,191 AED 8,045

11.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.5

-30.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $761 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% 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 $32.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $194 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $1,865 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $761 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $308 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,865 in Sharjah versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $3,000 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.