Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Faiyum and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in El Faiyum: $434 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

El Faiyum
🇪🇬 Egypt
$434
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Faiyum and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in El Faiyum and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $434 in El Faiyum versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • El Faiyum $434
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $693 in El Faiyum versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • El Faiyum $693
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $952 in El Faiyum versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • El Faiyum $952
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in El Faiyum costs roughly 82% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Faiyum is 68% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 E£122
$17.89 €15.92
-87.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.74 E£680
$66.2 €58.9
-80.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.30 E£176
$13.69 €12.18
-75.89%
Cappuccino
$1.19 E£63.3
$3.06 €2.72
-61.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 E£15.59
$3.07 €2.73
-90.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.10 E£5.10
$1.94 €1.73
-94.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.89 E£47.70
$3.87 €3.44
-77.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 E£120
$4.61 €4.10
-51.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.74 E£39.61
$1.30 €1.16
-43.08%
White Bread (500g)
$0.67 E£35.72
$2.10 €1.87
-68.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.62 E£32.99
$1.83 €1.62
-66.12%
Eggs
$1.16 E£62.1
$4.62 €4.11
-74.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.03 E£162
$17.36 €15.44
-82.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.23 E£226
$9.28 €8.25
-54.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.74 E£360
$19.83 €17.64
-66.01%
Apples (1kg)
$1.46 E£78.1
$3.01 €2.68
-51.50%
Banana (1kg)
$0.61 E£32.60
$2.03 €1.81
-69.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.54 E£28.93
$2.65 €2.36
-79.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.32 E£16.87
$2.87 €2.55
-88.85%
Potato (1kg)
$0.26 E£14.00
$2.16 €1.92
-87.96%
Onion (1kg)
$0.29 E£15.74
$2.15 €1.91
-86.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 E£13.22
$1.47 €1.31
-82.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.23 E£12.18
$0.88 €0.79
-73.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.73 E£92.4
$6.93 €6.16
-75.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.54 E£296
$7.83 €6.96
-29.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 E£64.6
$1.39 €1.24
-12.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 E£105
$2.63 €2.34
-25.48%
🚌 Getting Around
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.05 E£2.84
$2.91 €2.59
-98.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.41 E£289
$25.46 €22.64
-78.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£20.71
$3.00 €2.66
-87.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 E£15.69
$1.44 €1.28
-79.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 E£63.3
$33.20 €29.53
-96.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.41 E£21.65
$1.86 €1.65
-77.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K E£1.8M
$32.3K €28.8K
2.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K E£1.3M
$31.7K €28.2K
-20.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.75 E£734
$183 €163
-92.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.55 E£350
$13.61 €12.11
-51.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.01 E£695
$32.93 €29.29
-60.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.39 E£1,462
$54.7 €48.65
-49.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.52 €14.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.17 E£116
$11.23 €9.99
-80.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$23.56 E£1,258
$954 €849
-97.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$821 E£43.8K
$16.6K €14.8K
-95.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.17 E£1,718
$86.0 €76.5
-62.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.92 E£2,345
$39.11 €34.78
12.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 E£6,719
$104 €92.2
21.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.1 E£2,888
$119 €106
-54.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$163 E£8,682
$1,695 €1,508
-90.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$80.5 E£4,299
$1,276 €1,135
-93.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$258 E£13.8K
$2,576 €2,291
-89.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$152 E£8,097
$1,922 €1,710
-92.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$427 E£22.8K
$7,281 €6,477
-94.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$221 E£11.8K
$5,010 €4,456
-95.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Faiyum
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$70.5 E£3,762
$2,227 €1,981
-96.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
3.28
82.93%

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

Last update for El Faiyum: October 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Clothing & Footwear
El Faiyum
$115
Barcelona
$156 35.7% $41
Groceries & Markets
El Faiyum
$113
Barcelona
$325 189% $213
Accommodation & Living
El Faiyum
$81
Barcelona
$1.3K 1485% $1.2K
Eating Out
El Faiyum
$53
Barcelona
$270 409% $217
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Faiyum
$33
Barcelona
$229 588% $196
Sport & Entertainment
El Faiyum
$32
Barcelona
$77 143% $45
Getting Around
El Faiyum
$7.5
Barcelona
$47 533% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in El Faiyum and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3060% 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: $13.00 in El Faiyum vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $113 vs $325 per month, with El Faiyum cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 El Faiyum
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
13:53 1:53 PM
12:53 12:53 PM
1 h behind El Faiyum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
306,393
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Faiyum Barcelona 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • El Faiyum
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
El Faiyum vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in El Faiyum and in Barcelona?
El Faiyum and Barcelona differ by about 449% in total monthly costs ($434 vs $2,381 including rent). El Faiyum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 3060% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in El Faiyum and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $163 in El Faiyum versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between El Faiyum and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $23.56 in El Faiyum versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $434 in El Faiyum versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Faiyum but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Faiyum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between El Faiyum and Barcelona?
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.
Is El Faiyum or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, El Faiyum 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.
Where should expats move: El Faiyum or Barcelona?
Expats usually find El Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 449% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

El Faiyum vs other spots: cost of living compared

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