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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $681 in Sidi Kacem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Sidi Kacem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,342 in Sidi Kacem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 257% more expensive than in Sidi Kacem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Sidi Kacem is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$3.17 MAD 29.31

493.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$19.24 MAD 178

261.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$8.85 MAD 81.8

59.10%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$1.85 MAD 17.08

68.65%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.78 MAD 7.17

273.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.33 MAD 3.07

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.78 MAD 25.65

43.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$3.20 MAD 29.52

45.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.79 MAD 7.26

50.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.28 MAD 2.62

660.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.53 MAD 14.16

20.26%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.79 MAD 16.55

186.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$5.93 MAD 54.8

176.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$3.96 MAD 36.62

145.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$9.11 MAD 84.1

115.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.38 MAD 12.70

126.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.50 MAD 13.89

45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.94 MAD 8.64

161.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.62 MAD 5.72

346.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.57 MAD 5.30

271.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.48 MAD 4.43

364.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.33 MAD 3.05

351.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.61 MAD 5.65

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$3.59 MAD 33.13

102.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$6.49 MAD 60.0

27.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.84 MAD 17.03

-16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.71 MAD 15.82

56.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.52 MAD 4.80

490.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$19.26 MAD 178

34.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.72 MAD 6.67

363.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.13 MAD 10.45

66.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$3.53 MAD 32.62

890.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.27 MAD 11.75

37.01%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$35.5K MAD 328.2K

2.75%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$31.6K MAD 291.8K

-0.26%

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

$183 €156

$45.83 MAD 423

298.97%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$11.23 MAD 104

39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$42.96 MAD 397

-14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$26.95 MAD 249

98.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$18.77 MAD 173

-8.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$3.80 MAD 35.13

202.89%

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

$952 €815

$49.79 MAD 460

1812.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$5,983 MAD 55.3K

170.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$18.31 MAD 169

350.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$48.58 MAD 449

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$57.9 MAD 535

86.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$68.9 MAD 636

82.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$263 MAD 2,427

534.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$170 MAD 1,572

656.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$451 MAD 4,166

490.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$249 MAD 2,297

665.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$1,127 MAD 10.4K

566.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$898 MAD 8,291

476.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.5

-43.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Sidi Kacem: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $263 in Sidi Kacem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Sidi Kacem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $149 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 257% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $681 including rent). Sidi Kacem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,651 in Barcelona and $1,022 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $263 in Sidi Kacem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $49.79 in Sidi Kacem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $681 in Sidi Kacem versus $2,434 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 257% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.