Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Bulawayo versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,259 in Bulawayo versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,734 in Bulawayo versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Bulawayo costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bulawayo is 41% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ZWL 117

$17.15 €14.96

-74.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ZWL 789

$68.1 €59.3

-56.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ZWL 143

$13.64 €11.89

-60.85%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ZWL 62.0

$2.78 €2.42

-16.55%

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

$0.48 ZWL 12.88

$2.82 €2.46

-82.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ZWL 11.49

$1.96 €1.71

-78.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ZWL 48.01

$4.43 €3.86

-59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 ZWL 66.0

$4.61 €4.01

-46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ZWL 41.80

$1.27 €1.11

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ZWL 26.81

$2.13 €1.86

-53.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 ZWL 47.60

$1.99 €1.73

-10.55%

Eggs

$1.75 ZWL 46.85

$3.37 €2.93

-48.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 ZWL 279

$18.96 €16.53

-44.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 ZWL 103

$9.53 €8.31

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 ZWL 118

$18.73 €16.33

-76.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ZWL 39.11

$2.65 €2.31

-44.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ZWL 39.32

$2.35 €2.05

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 ZWL 59.6

$2.09 €1.82

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ZWL 29.90

$2.73 €2.38

-58.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ZWL 30.70

$1.96 €1.71

-41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ZWL 36.29

$1.81 €1.58

-24.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

$1.51 €1.32

-35.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 26.93

$0.89 €0.78

13.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZWL 41.02

$6.78 €5.91

-77.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.07 ZWL 135

$7.92 €6.90

-35.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ZWL 41.00

$1.37 €1.19

11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ZWL 58.5

$2.40 €2.09

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ZWL 13.68

$2.91 €2.54

-82.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 ZWL 811

$28.66 €24.98

5.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

$4.58 €3.99

-32.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 ZWL 59.5

$2.04 €1.78

9.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 ZWL 133

$28.72 €25.03

-82.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 ZWL 44.42

$1.82 €1.59

-8.79%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

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

$32.5K €28.3K

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

$72.5 ZWL 1,936

$187 €163

-61.17%

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

$18.00 ZWL 481

$22.29 €19.43

-19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$135 ZWL 3,618

$36.37 €31.71

272.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.96 ZWL 667

$57.5 €50.2

-56.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ZWL 272

$10.77 €9.39

-5.57%

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

$140 ZWL 3,734

$725 €632

-80.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.40 ZWL 572

$87.9 €76.6

-75.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.10 ZWL 350

$36.81 €32.09

-64.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ZWL 1,862

$103 €90.2

-32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ZWL 1,478

$119 €103

-53.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 ZWL 4,881

$1,524 €1,328

-88.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ZWL 2,904

$1,227 €1,070

-91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ZWL 12.6K

$2,727 €2,378

-82.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ZWL 11.2K

$1,984 €1,730

-78.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,089 ZWL 55.8K

$7,469 €6,511

-72.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,041 ZWL 54.5K

$5,243 €4,571

-61.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$294 ZWL 7,865

$2,393 €2,086

-87.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Bulawayo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Bulawayo and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 713% 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: $30.00 in Bulawayo vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $319 per month, with Bulawayo 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

Bulawayo vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bulawayo and Barcelona differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($784 vs $2,359 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 713% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $183 in Bulawayo versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $140 in Bulawayo versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Bulawayo versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bulawayo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bulawayo 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, Bulawayo and Barcelona 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 Bulawayo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.