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: $4,853 in George Town versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,433 in George Town versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.0K in George Town versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in George Town is roughly 96% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: George Town 255% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.08 KYD 24.66

$18.74 €16.33

60.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 KYD 95.3

$69.5 €60.6

67.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.50 KYD 13.53

$13.77 €12.00

19.83%

Cappuccino

$7.15 KYD 5.87

$3.10 €2.70

130.65%

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

$3.07 KYD 2.52

$2.83 €2.47

8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 KYD 2.30

$1.88 €1.64

49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 KYD 6.00

$3.98 €3.47

83.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 KYD 7.78

$4.53 €3.95

109.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 KYD 3.67

$1.27 €1.11

252.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 KYD 3.39

$2.16 €1.88

91.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 KYD 3.44

$1.76 €1.53

138.64%

Eggs

$7.39 KYD 6.06

$5.13 €4.47

44.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$55.2 KYD 45.23

$17.88 €15.59

208.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.97 KYD 15.56

$9.65 €8.41

96.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 KYD 16.33

$20.15 €17.56

-1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$7.24 KYD 5.94

$3.25 €2.84

122.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.75 KYD 3.07

$2.23 €1.94

68.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.18 KYD 5.07

$2.60 €2.27

137.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 KYD 6.54

$2.76 €2.40

189.13%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 KYD 3.39

$2.21 €1.93

87.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 KYD 3.27

$2.12 €1.85

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 KYD 2.74

$1.55 €1.35

116.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 KYD 1.79

$0.95 €0.83

130.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 KYD 11.88

$7.34 €6.40

97.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.90 KYD 20.42

$8.05 €7.01

209.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.29 KYD 3.52

$1.54 €1.35

178.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 KYD 4.62

$2.79 €2.43

102.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 KYD 2.02

$3.11 €2.71

-20.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 KYD 67.1

$25.86 €22.54

216.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$18.61 KYD 15.26

$3.27 €2.85

469.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.82 KYD 3.13

$1.48 €1.29

158.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.31 KYD 37.15

$34.27 €29.88

32.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 KYD 1.32

$1.73 €1.51

-6.94%

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

$41.6K KYD 34.1K

$36.4K €31.7K

14.25%

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

$42.4K KYD 34.8K

$30.5K €26.6K

38.81%

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

$451 KYD 370

$187 €163

140.88%

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

$119 KYD 97.9

$15.14 €13.20

688.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$112 KYD 92.0

$37.69 €32.85

197.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$217 KYD 178

$55.9 €48.76

288.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 KYD 29.03

$17.08 €14.89

107.26%

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 KYD 15.46

$11.41 €9.95

65.21%

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

$1,777 KYD 1,457

$997 €869

78.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K KYD 22.1K

$16.5K €14.4K

62.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 KYD 71.5

$92.6 €80.8

-5.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 KYD 61.0

$41.22 €35.93

80.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 KYD 115

$111 €96.9

26.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 KYD 121

$125 €109

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,957 KYD 2,425

$1,707 €1,488

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 KYD 1,993

$1,286 €1,121

89.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,751 KYD 4,715

$2,565 €2,236

124.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,655 KYD 3,817

$1,942 €1,693

139.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,838 KYD 7,247

$7,647 €6,666

15.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 KYD 1,859

$5,167 €4,504

-56.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,325 KYD 6,006

$2,348 €2,047

211.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

153.16%

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

Last update for George Town: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,957 in George Town and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 212% 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: $116 in George Town vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $718 vs $336 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 96% in total monthly costs ($4,853 vs $2,476 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in George Town, 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: $2,957 in George Town versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,777 in George Town versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in George Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 96% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.