Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawalli and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawalli and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,127 in Hawalli versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Hawalli versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,891 in Hawalli versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Hawalli costs roughly 52% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hawalli is 15% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 KWD 1.50

$17.15 €14.86

-71.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 KWD 20.93

$68.1 €58.9

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 KWD 2.83

$13.64 €11.82

-32.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$4.58 KWD 1.41

$2.78 €2.41

64.75%

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

$0.52 KWD 0.16

$2.82 €2.44

-81.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$1.96 €1.70

-83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$1.27 €1.10

23.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$2.13 €1.85

-38.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 KWD 0.55

$1.99 €1.72

-10.55%

Eggs

$2.10 KWD 0.65

$3.37 €2.92

-37.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$18.96 €16.42

-82.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 KWD 1.03

$9.53 €8.26

-64.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.69 KWD 1.75

$18.73 €16.22

-69.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

$2.65 €2.29

-6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$2.35 €2.04

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$2.09 €1.81

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$2.73 €2.37

-45.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.96 €1.70

-37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.81 €1.56

-27.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 KWD 0.50

$1.51 €1.31

8.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$0.89 €0.77

-64.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.17 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 KWD 0.90

$6.78 €5.87

-56.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 KWD 0.26

$2.91 €2.52

-70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.57 KWD 14.94

$28.66 €24.82

69.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

$4.58 €3.96

-29.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$2.04 €1.77

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.03 KWD 4.93

$28.72 €24.87

-44.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.82 €1.58

-81.32%

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

$21.3K KWD 6,557

$39.3K €34.0K

-45.78%

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

$19.5K KWD 6,000

$32.5K €28.1K

-39.94%

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

$63.1 KWD 19.41

$187 €162

-66.19%

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

$18.75 KWD 5.77

$22.29 €19.30

-15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.58 KWD 7.87

$36.37 €31.50

-29.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 KWD 14.90

$57.5 €49.82

-15.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.55 KWD 14.32

$20.74 €17.96

124.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 KWD 2.94

$10.77 €9.33

-11.14%

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

$405 KWD 125

$725 €628

-44.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,674 KWD 2,053

$15.2K €13.1K

-55.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.23 KWD 10.22

$87.9 €76.1

-62.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 KWD 13.18

$36.81 €31.88

16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 KWD 26.87

$103 €89.6

-15.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 KWD 25.49

$119 €103

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 KWD 180

$1,524 €1,319

-61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 KWD 149

$1,227 €1,062

-60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 KWD 299

$2,727 €2,362

-64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,240 KWD 997

$1,984 €1,718

63.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 KWD 579

$2,393 €2,072

-21.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

3.39

110.62%

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

Last update for Hawalli: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Hawalli and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 27% 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: $68.0 in Hawalli vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $319 per month, with Hawalli 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

Hawalli vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hawalli and Barcelona differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,127 vs $2,359 including rent). Hawalli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $585 in Hawalli versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $405 in Hawalli 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 124% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,127 in Hawalli versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hawalli but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hawalli 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, Hawalli 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 Hawalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.