Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sidi Kacem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sidi Kacem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $726 in Sidi Kacem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,130 in Sidi Kacem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,533 in Sidi Kacem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 222% more expensive than Sidi Kacem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sidi Kacem is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.27 MAD 39.46

300.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$30.29 MAD 280

128.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.02 MAD 64.9

96.30%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.65 MAD 15.24

67.27%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.68 MAD 6.25

310.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.32 MAD 3.00

521.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.83 MAD 35.40

13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.26 MAD 30.12

45.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.75 MAD 6.92

72.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.63 MAD 5.87

225.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.09 MAD 10.07

82.57%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.24 MAD 20.69

51.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.88 MAD 82.1

111.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.73 MAD 34.55

150.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.89 MAD 73.0

142.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.63 MAD 5.81

328.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.91 MAD 8.41

157.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.54 MAD 4.98

292.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.54 MAD 4.98

427.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.46 MAD 4.27

328.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.31 MAD 2.91

480.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.23 MAD 2.13

530.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.62 MAD 5.70

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.66 MAD 24.61

154.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.36 MAD 58.8

24.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.53 MAD 14.17

-9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.28 MAD 30.31

-27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.51 MAD 4.71

472.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$16.34 MAD 151

75.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.57 MAD 5.31

682.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.52 MAD 4.80

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.32 MAD 39.92

584.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.36 MAD 12.56

33.82%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$37.8K MAD 350.1K

2.59%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$23.9K MAD 220.8K

38.70%

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

$189 €163

$82.2 MAD 761

130.12%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$11.19 MAD 104

103.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$38.96 MAD 360

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$24.06 MAD 223

139.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$22.93 MAD 212

-9.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.31 MAD 67.6

48.02%

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

$728 €628

$99.8 MAD 923

629.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,347 MAD 58.7K

132.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$30.48 MAD 282

190.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$45.98 MAD 425

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$87.0 MAD 805

17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$82.3 MAD 762

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$279 MAD 2,583

461.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$171 MAD 1,584

611.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$505 MAD 4,672

453.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$307 MAD 2,837

544.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,601 MAD 14.8K

384.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$943 MAD 8,722

449.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.35

-22.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sidi Kacem: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $279 in Sidi Kacem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Sidi Kacem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $147 per month, with Sidi Kacem 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 Sidi Kacem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sidi Kacem differ by about 222% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $726 including rent). Sidi Kacem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,090 in Sidi Kacem to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $279 in Sidi Kacem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $99.8 in Sidi Kacem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $726 in Sidi Kacem versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sidi Kacem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sidi Kacem 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 Sidi Kacem 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 Sidi Kacem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 222% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.