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: $1,130 in Hawalli versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Hawalli versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,944 in Hawalli versus $4,599 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 16% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 KWD 1.48

$17.08 €14.72

-71.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 KWD 20.81

$69.2 €59.7

-2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 KWD 2.72

$13.78 €11.87

-35.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 KWD 0.99

Cappuccino

$4.39 KWD 1.35

$2.76 €2.37

59.06%

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

$0.56 KWD 0.17

$2.79 €2.40

-79.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.11

$1.99 €1.72

-82.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$1.29 €1.11

26.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

$2.05 €1.77

-37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 KWD 0.54

$1.99 €1.71

-11.56%

Eggs

$2.11 KWD 0.65

$3.39 €2.92

-37.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

$18.81 €16.21

-82.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 KWD 1.03

$9.36 €8.07

-64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.75 KWD 1.77

$19.12 €16.48

-69.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 KWD 0.72

$2.70 €2.32

-13.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 KWD 0.61

$2.34 €2.02

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 KWD 0.54

$2.12 €1.83

-17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 KWD 0.44

$2.85 €2.46

-49.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$1.97 €1.70

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$1.80 €1.55

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.50

$1.45 €1.25

11.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$0.86 €0.74

-62.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 KWD 0.89

$6.78 €5.84

-57.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KWD 0.24

$2.92 €2.52

-72.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.85 KWD 15.01

$28.69 €24.72

70.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 KWD 1.03

$4.46 €3.84

-24.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

$2.05 €1.77

61.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.19 KWD 4.97

$29.55 €25.46

-45.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.82 €1.56

-81.87%

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

$21.2K KWD 6,519

$38.8K €33.5K

-45.35%

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

$19.8K KWD 6,078

$33.1K €28.5K

-40.22%

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

$62.3 KWD 19.15

$189 €163

-67.06%

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

$18.50 KWD 5.68

$22.80 €19.65

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.37 KWD 7.79

$37.59 €32.39

-32.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.99 KWD 15.05

$57.7 €49.75

-15.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.77 KWD 14.06

$20.74 €17.87

120.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 KWD 2.97

$10.82 €9.33

-10.63%

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

$400 KWD 123

$728 €628

-45.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,668 KWD 2,048

$14.8K €12.7K

-54.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.22 KWD 9.90

$88.6 €76.4

-63.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.08 KWD 12.93

$36.85 €31.75

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 KWD 27.48

$102 €87.9

-12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 KWD 24.76

$116 €100

-30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 KWD 179

$1,569 €1,352

-62.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 KWD 150

$1,218 €1,050

-59.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 KWD 296

$2,795 €2,409

-65.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,326 KWD 1,022

$1,975 €1,702

68.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,888 KWD 580

$2,343 €2,019

-19.44%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Hawalli and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% 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 $69.0 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 107% in total monthly costs ($1,130 vs $2,337 including rent). Hawalli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 24% 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: $582 in Hawalli versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $400 in Hawalli 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 124% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,130 in Hawalli versus $2,337 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 107% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.