Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zabbar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zabbar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,807 in Zabbar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,845 in Zabbar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,882 in Zabbar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than Zabbar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Zabbar 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$17.68 €15.24

-3.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$39.99 €34.45

73.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.18 €7.04

68.46%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.90 €2.50

-4.83%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.36 €2.03

18.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.71 €0.61

180.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.38 €2.05

83.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.65 €4.01

1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.25 €1.08

3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.09 €0.94

88.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.14 €0.98

74.56%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.21 €3.62

-19.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$5.92 €5.10

217.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.61 €3.97

103.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.33 €8.90

85.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.49 €3.86

-39.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.15 €2.71

-25.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.32 €2.86

-36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.83 €3.30

-25.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.53 €2.18

-22.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.35 €1.16

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.25 €1.93

-35.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.19 €1.03

-27.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.62 €5.71

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.17 €7.04

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.86 €1.60

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.35 €2.02

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.38 €2.05

22.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$15.67 €13.50

83.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.93 €5.11

-24.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$4.12 €3.55

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$35.38 €30.48

-16.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.59 €1.37

14.47%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$39.2K €33.8K

-0.98%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.0K €32.8K

-12.98%

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

$189 €163

$94.0 €81.0

101.35%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.91 €24.04

-18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$35.14 €30.28

6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$63.4 €54.6

-8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$22.98 €19.80

-9.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$10.34 €8.91

4.64%

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

$728 €628

$431 €371

69.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$2,342 €2,018

530.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$92.3 €79.5

-3.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$39.05 €33.65

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$104 €89.5

-1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$100 €86.2

16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,258 €1,084

24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$871 €750

39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$2,393 €2,062

16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,718 €1,481

14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,003 €3,449

93.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,184 €3,605

23.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,170 €1,008

100.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.08

-33.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zabbar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,258 in Zabbar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 100% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Zabbar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $254 per month, with Zabbar 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 Zabbar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zabbar differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,807 including rent). Zabbar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 100% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,258 in Zabbar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $431 in Zabbar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,807 in Zabbar versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zabbar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zabbar 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 Zabbar 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 Zabbar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.