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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $422 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $694 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $967 in Zawiya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 450% more expensive than in Zawiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Zawiya is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.73 LYD 17.41

546.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.45 LYD 118

277.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$3.75 LYD 23.89

277.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.40

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.23

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$0.48 LYD 3.03

483.33%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.46 LYD 2.91

510.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.11 LYD 0.67

1772.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.03 LYD 6.54

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.23 LYD 1.47

782.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.18 LYD 7.49

67.80%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.17 LYD 7.48

198.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$4.99 LYD 31.76

267.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.30 LYD 21.04

197.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.39 LYD 66.2

84.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.06 LYD 13.11

32.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.33 LYD 8.49

78.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.75 LYD 4.81

177.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.53 LYD 3.36

418.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.62 LYD 3.94

216.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.33 LYD 2.12

442.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.38 LYD 2.43

289.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.17 LYD 1.10

435.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 LYD 4.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.85 LYD 11.76

285.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.91 LYD 5.78

230.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$46.79 LYD 298

-37.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.90 LYD 5.74

384.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.89 LYD 5.66

139.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.77 LYD 17.62

968.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.03 LYD 0.18

5966.67%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$13.7K LYD 87.2K

176.79%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$16.4K LYD 104.7K

97.04%

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

$189 €166

$32.61 LYD 208

479.67%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$6.29 LYD 40.07

254.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$14.17 LYD 90.2

162.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$20.19 LYD 129

187.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$4.68 LYD 29.82

341.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.50 LYD 28.69

141.56%

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

$706 €618

$52.3 LYD 333

1249.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$908 LYD 5,786

1536.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$21.44 LYD 137

317.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.92 LYD 222

4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$32.12 LYD 205

223.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$36.80 LYD 234

224.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$106 LYD 674

1391.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$69.9 LYD 445

1670.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$199 LYD 1,268

1262.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$136 LYD 864

1404.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$467 LYD 2,975

1511.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$38.16 LYD 243

13628.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$253 LYD 1,613

833.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.5

-80.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $106 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 834% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $115 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 450% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $422 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 834% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $106 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $52.3 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $422 in Zawiya versus $2,320 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 450% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.