Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 246% more expensive than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sharm El Sheikh is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$7.74 E£402

127.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$21.46 E£1,114

218.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.48 E£285

156.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.76 E£91.3

57.95%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.32 E£16.51

775.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.44 E£22.88

368.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.00 E£156

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.00 E£259

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.91 E£47.20

36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.62 E£32.19

227.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.65 E£33.93

195.38%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.34 E£69.6

147.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.37 E£175

446.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.93 E£204

141.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.77 E£455

118.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.60 E£83.1

65.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.48 E£24.73

410.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.50 E£26.01

324.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.31 E£16.15

819.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.40 E£20.79

410.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.40 E£20.84

362.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.24 E£12.47

512.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.20 E£10.53

320.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.65 E£85.8

332.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.36 E£70.5

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.82 E£94.4

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.11 E£5.93

2609.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.39 E£20.14

1079.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.29 E£14.84

613.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$1.97 E£102

1381.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.36 E£18.49

411.11%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.5K E£1.8M

9.89%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.6K E£1.7M

-2.76%

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

$188 €162

$12.06 E£626

1457.38%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$11.13 E£577

106.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$28.07 E£1,457

30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$15.01 E£779

282.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$5.94 E£308

248.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$3.54 E£184

216.10%

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

$721 €621

$114 E£5,938

530.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,855 E£96.3K

710.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.01 E£1,402

219.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$48.05 E£2,494

-22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$110 E£5,695

-7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$51.3 E£2,663

125.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$370 E£19.2K

314.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$281 E£14.6K

335.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$626 E£32.5K

330.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$561 E£29.1K

259.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$997 E£51.7K

624.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$690 E£35.8K

651.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$151 E£7,827

1464.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.67

-79.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1465% 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 $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $110 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sharm El Sheikh differ by about 246% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $684 including rent). Sharm El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1465% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $114 in Sharm El Sheikh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.