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: $768 in Bulawayo versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in Bulawayo versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Bulawayo versus $4,599 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 43% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ZWL 122

$17.08 €14.72

-73.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.96 ZWL 802

$69.2 €59.7

-56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ZWL 150

$13.78 €11.87

-59.43%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ZWL 62.3

$2.76 €2.37

-15.58%

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

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

$2.79 €2.40

-81.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ZWL 10.74

$1.99 €1.72

-79.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ZWL 45.48

$4.36 €3.76

-61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ZWL 65.6

$4.74 €4.09

-48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.54

$1.29 €1.11

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ZWL 26.83

$2.05 €1.77

-51.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 48.08

$1.99 €1.71

-9.55%

Eggs

$1.73 ZWL 46.23

$3.39 €2.92

-48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 ZWL 278

$18.81 €16.21

-44.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 ZWL 106

$9.36 €8.07

-57.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.44 ZWL 119

$19.12 €16.48

-76.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ZWL 40.54

$2.70 €2.32

-44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ZWL 40.72

$2.34 €2.02

-35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ZWL 62.2

$2.12 €1.83

9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ZWL 29.14

$2.85 €2.46

-61.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ZWL 32.15

$1.97 €1.70

-39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ZWL 37.58

$1.80 €1.55

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ZWL 27.08

$1.45 €1.25

-30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 26.94

$0.86 €0.74

17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 ZWL 40.62

$6.78 €5.84

-77.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ZWL 137

$7.90 €6.81

-35.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ZWL 41.35

$1.39 €1.20

10.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ZWL 56.7

$2.37 €2.04

-10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ZWL 13.08

$2.92 €2.52

-83.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 ZWL 788

$28.69 €24.72

2.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 ZWL 79.4

$4.46 €3.84

-33.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 ZWL 60.9

$2.05 €1.77

11.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ZWL 135

$29.55 €25.46

-82.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 ZWL 45.24

$1.82 €1.56

-7.14%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

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

$33.1K €28.5K

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

$70.3 ZWL 1,880

$189 €163

-62.88%

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

$18.25 ZWL 488

$22.80 €19.65

-19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$134 ZWL 3,579

$37.59 €32.39

255.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.90 ZWL 667

$57.7 €49.75

-56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 ZWL 266

$10.82 €9.33

-8.23%

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

$139 ZWL 3,728

$728 €628

-80.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.94 ZWL 587

$88.6 €76.4

-75.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.26 ZWL 355

$36.85 €31.75

-64.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ZWL 1,853

$102 €87.9

-32.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ZWL 1,488

$116 €100

-52.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$186 ZWL 4,981

$1,569 €1,352

-88.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ZWL 3,000

$1,218 €1,050

-90.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ZWL 12.7K

$2,795 €2,409

-83.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ZWL 11.0K

$1,975 €1,702

-79.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 ZWL 57.0K

$7,754 €6,680

-72.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 ZWL 54.7K

$5,176 €4,460

-60.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$296 ZWL 7,914

$2,343 €2,019

-87.38%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $186 in Bulawayo and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 693% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 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 204% in total monthly costs ($768 vs $2,337 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 693% less. 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: $186 in Bulawayo versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Bulawayo versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Bulawayo versus $2,337 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 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.