Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zawiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zawiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $426 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $654 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $881 in Zawiya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 482% more expensive than in Zawiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Zawiya is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$2.30 LYD 14.53

700.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$15.04 LYD 94.9

361.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$2.54 LYD 16.00

453.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.90

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$0.42 LYD 2.63

640.48%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.42 LYD 2.64

604.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.09 LYD 0.57

2066.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.91 LYD 5.72

45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.20 LYD 1.26

955.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.12 LYD 7.05

63.39%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.03 LYD 6.48

400.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$4.66 LYD 29.43

276.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.32 LYD 20.97

186.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$8.86 LYD 55.9

124.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.85 LYD 11.70

71.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.24 LYD 7.83

78.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.71 LYD 4.47

267.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.53 LYD 3.32

437.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.49 LYD 3.09

342.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.27 LYD 1.70

681.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.30 LYD 1.88

440.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.18 LYD 1.13

388.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 LYD 4.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 LYD 4.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LYD 5.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$1.67 LYD 10.55

329.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.77 LYD 4.84

307.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$39.03 LYD 246

-32.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.78 LYD 4.92

312.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.49 LYD 3.11

208.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$2.40 LYD 15.16

1369.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.02 LYD 0.13

8650.00%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$15.6K LYD 98.8K

134.29%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$14.0K LYD 88.5K

125.82%

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

$187 €161

$93.3 LYD 589

100.54%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$5.67 LYD 35.81

166.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$12.23 LYD 77.2

207.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$17.20 LYD 109

222.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$3.92 LYD 24.75

327.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$3.85 LYD 24.32

204.16%

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

$1,011 €871

$52.7 LYD 332

1819.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$628 LYD 3,966

2616.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$21.22 LYD 134

330.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$17.59 LYD 111

133.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$27.97 LYD 177

295.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$31.76 LYD 200

296.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$91.1 LYD 575

1771.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$58.2 LYD 367

2134.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$171 LYD 1,082

1409.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$116 LYD 735

1556.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$469 LYD 2,960

1548.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$38.80 LYD 245

13776.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$255 LYD 1,611

829.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $91.1 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 830% 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 $15.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $104 per month, with Zawiya 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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zawiya differ by about 482% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $426 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 830% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $91.1 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $52.7 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 220% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $426 in Zawiya versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zawiya but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zawiya 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 Zawiya 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 Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 482% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.