Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,601 in George Town versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,910 in George Town versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,219 in George Town versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in George Town is roughly 97% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: George Town 244% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.48 KYD 25.39

$17.61 €15.08

73.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 KYD 120

$68.7 €58.8

109.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 KYD 13.28

$13.75 €11.77

15.93%

Cappuccino

$6.76 KYD 5.63

$2.76 €2.36

144.93%

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

$3.47 KYD 2.89

$2.78 €2.38

24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KYD 2.26

$2.05 €1.75

32.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.24 KYD 7.70

$4.61 €3.94

100.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 KYD 6.92

$4.59 €3.93

80.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 KYD 2.49

$1.28 €1.10

133.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.50 KYD 4.58

$2.11 €1.81

160.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 KYD 4.77

$1.97 €1.69

190.86%

Eggs

$9.69 KYD 8.07

$3.44 €2.95

181.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 KYD 9.90

$18.83 €16.12

-36.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.85 KYD 13.20

$9.45 €8.09

67.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 KYD 13.93

$19.01 €16.27

-12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$10.44 KYD 8.70

$2.72 €2.33

283.82%

Banana (1kg)

$4.64 KYD 3.87

$2.37 €2.03

95.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.72 KYD 6.43

$2.08 €1.78

271.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.85 KYD 6.54

$2.76 €2.36

184.42%

Potato (1kg)

$5.19 KYD 4.32

$1.97 €1.69

163.45%

Onion (1kg)

$5.71 KYD 4.75

$1.79 €1.53

218.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.23 KYD 5.19

$1.51 €1.29

312.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 KYD 2.44

$0.90 €0.77

224.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.51 KYD 12.09

$6.76 €5.79

114.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.57 KYD 21.30

$7.55 €6.46

238.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 KYD 3.25

$1.44 €1.23

170.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 KYD 4.33

$2.41 €2.06

115.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 KYD 1.99

$3.03 €2.59

-21.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.22 KYD 25.17

$28.39 €24.30

6.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$18.02 KYD 15.01

$4.43 €3.79

306.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.88 KYD 4.06

$2.05 €1.76

138.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.1 KYD 50.0

$29.33 €25.11

104.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 KYD 1.42

$1.89 €1.62

-10.05%

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

$39.4K KYD 32.8K

$38.7K €33.2K

1.76%

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

$34.0K KYD 28.3K

$32.4K €27.7K

5.02%

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

$388 KYD 323

$189 €161

105.77%

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

$97.7 KYD 81.4

$22.21 €19.01

339.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$111 KYD 92.2

$36.82 €31.52

200.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 KYD 88.9

$58.0 €49.64

84.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.78 KYD 33.97

$20.99 €17.97

94.28%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 KYD 15.16

$11.05 €9.46

64.62%

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

$1,739 KYD 1,449

$726 €622

139.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K KYD 20.5K

$15.2K €13.0K

61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 KYD 75.8

$88.3 €75.6

3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 KYD 58.7

$36.98 €31.66

90.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 KYD 123

$103 €87.8

44.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 KYD 122

$119 €102

23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 KYD 2,386

$1,526 €1,307

87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 KYD 2,076

$1,218 €1,043

104.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,639 KYD 4,697

$2,794 €2,392

101.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,569 KYD 3,806

$2,027 €1,735

125.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,684 KYD 7,234

$7,094 €6,073

22.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 KYD 1,859

$4,849 €4,151

-53.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,838 KYD 6,529

$2,404 €2,058

226.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

3.39

143.36%

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

Last update for George Town: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,864 in George Town and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 226% 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: $144 in George Town vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $630 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona 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

George Town vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town and Barcelona differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($4,601 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

George Town pays 226% more on average, 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: $2,864 in George Town versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,739 in George Town versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in George Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $4,601 in George Town, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in George Town. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, George Town 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.