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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $729 in Sidi Kacem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Sidi Kacem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,552 in Sidi Kacem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 221% more expensive than Sidi Kacem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Sidi Kacem is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.41 MAD 40.83

299.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$30.53 MAD 282

125.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.06 MAD 65.3

94.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.73 MAD 16.03

59.54%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.71 MAD 6.59

291.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.33 MAD 3.01

521.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.78 MAD 34.94

21.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.30 MAD 30.54

39.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.80 MAD 7.40

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.64 MAD 5.90

229.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.08 MAD 9.99

82.41%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.25 MAD 20.78

52.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.80 MAD 81.4

113.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.76 MAD 34.79

151.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.86 MAD 72.7

141.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.64 MAD 5.96

325.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.84 MAD 7.74

182.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.54 MAD 4.98

285.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.54 MAD 4.96

411.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.46 MAD 4.21

328.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.32 MAD 2.92

459.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.23 MAD 2.13

556.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 MAD 5.58

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.65 MAD 24.53

155.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.43 MAD 59.5

17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.54 MAD 14.27

-6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.27 MAD 30.26

-26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.48 MAD 4.41

531.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$16.60 MAD 154

71.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.56 MAD 5.19

691.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.49 MAD 4.51

318.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.26 MAD 39.42

588.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.34 MAD 12.40

41.04%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$36.7K MAD 339.3K

5.62%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$23.9K MAD 221.2K

35.32%

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

$189 €161

$83.3 MAD 771

126.34%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$11.19 MAD 103

98.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$38.97 MAD 361

-5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$24.43 MAD 226

137.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$23.11 MAD 214

-9.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.27 MAD 67.2

51.99%

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

$726 €622

$98.4 MAD 910

638.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,527 MAD 60.4K

133.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$31.21 MAD 289

182.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$46.27 MAD 428

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$89.7 MAD 830

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$83.8 MAD 775

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$276 MAD 2,555

452.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$174 MAD 1,609

600.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$502 MAD 4,647

456.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$303 MAD 2,807

568.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,564 MAD 14.5K

353.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$854 MAD 7,896

468.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sidi Kacem: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $276 in Sidi Kacem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Sidi Kacem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 221% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $729 including rent). Sidi Kacem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,094 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $276 in Sidi Kacem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $98.4 in Sidi Kacem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Sidi Kacem versus $2,341 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 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.