Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sidi Bel Abbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes: $534 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Sidi Bel Abbes
🇩🇿 Algeria
$534
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sidi Bel Abbes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Sidi Bel Abbes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Sidi Bel Abbes $534

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $883 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Sidi Bel Abbes $883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $1,231 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Sidi Bel Abbes $1,231

Living in Barcelona is roughly 357% more expensive than in Sidi Bel Abbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Sidi Bel Abbes is 60% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.75
$2.35 DZD 318
651.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$20.66 DZD 2,794
226.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.14
$3.84 DZD 519
254.43%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$0.36 DZD 48.96
761.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$0.60 DZD 81.0
400.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.28 DZD 38.07
589.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.43
$1.66 DZD 225
131.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.89
$2.95 DZD 399
47.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$0.96 DZD 130
30.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$0.08 DZD 10.45
2550.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.01 DZD 137
95.05%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.25
$1.50 DZD 203
217.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.22
$9.51 DZD 1,286
79.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.99
$5.95 DZD 804
50.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.42
$15.51 DZD 2,098
33.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.82
$2.74 DZD 370
15.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.28 DZD 308
-13.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$1.34 DZD 182
97.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$0.47 DZD 63.7
512.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$0.35 DZD 47.87
488.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$0.63 DZD 85.7
246.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.61 DZD 82.5
150.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.33 DZD 44.51
193.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.21
$1.84 DZD 249
278.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$10.00 DZD 1,353
-21.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$2.14 DZD 289
-33.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$0.88 DZD 119
205.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.95
$0.17 DZD 22.61
1847.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.84
$6.68 DZD 903
283.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.75
$0.67 DZD 90.7
359.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.33 DZD 44.94
348.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.32
$2.25 DZD 305
1360.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$0.30 DZD 40.01
523.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.4K
$16.5K DZD 2.2M
100.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.5K
$29.9K DZD 4.0M
6.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$18.52 DZD 2,505
887.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.70
$8.83 DZD 1,195
61.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.83
$16.09 DZD 2,176
114.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.87
$17.35 DZD 2,347
196.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.62
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.87
$1.51 DZD 204
632.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €842
$55.2 DZD 7,466
1609.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$3,239 DZD 438.0K
587.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.2
$32.52 DZD 4,399
169.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.59
$54.9 DZD 7,424
-29.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$81.9 DZD 11.1K
27.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$82.0 DZD 11.1K
43.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,514
$146 DZD 19.8K
1058.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,192
$93.9 DZD 12.7K
1323.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,401
$269 DZD 36.4K
899.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,853
$194 DZD 26.3K
969.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,382
$991 DZD 134.0K
622.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,530
$1,026 DZD 138.8K
394.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Sidi Bel Abbes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,999
$345 DZD 46.7K
549.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
6.5
-50.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sidi Bel Abbes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Sidi Bel Abbes
$94 93% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Sidi Bel Abbes
$202 38.5% $126
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Sidi Bel Abbes
$52 80.4% $215
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Sidi Bel Abbes
$43 81.2% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Sidi Bel Abbes
$113 27.9% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Sidi Bel Abbes
$20 72.3% $53
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Sidi Bel Abbes
$9.7 80.4% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $146 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $21 in Sidi Bel Abbes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $202 per month, with Sidi Bel Abbes cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇩🇿 Sidi Bel Abbes
🕒 Local time
01:48 1:48 AM
01:48 1:48 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
212,935
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Sidi Bel Abbes 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Sidi Bel Abbes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sidi Bel Abbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Sidi Bel Abbes?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes, so Sidi Bel Abbes is about 78% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Sidi Bel Abbes?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 6.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Sidi Bel Abbes?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $146 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Sidi Bel Abbes?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $55 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sidi Bel Abbes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sidi Bel Abbes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Sidi Bel Abbes?
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.
Is Barcelona or Sidi Bel Abbes safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Sidi Bel Abbes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Sidi Bel Abbes?
Expats usually find Sidi Bel Abbes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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