Cost of Living Comparison Between Madaba and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Madaba and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $829 in Madaba versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Madaba versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,000 in Madaba versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Madaba costs roughly 65% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madaba is 38% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 JOD 3.89

$17.61 €15.04

-68.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.57 JOD 34.44

$68.7 €58.7

-29.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 JOD 4.49

$13.75 €11.74

-53.96%

Cappuccino

$3.57 JOD 2.53

$2.76 €2.36

29.35%

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

$0.52 JOD 0.37

$2.78 €2.38

-81.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 JOD 0.27

$2.05 €1.75

-81.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 JOD 3.05

$4.61 €3.93

-6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 JOD 4.95

$4.59 €3.92

52.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.28 €1.09

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 JOD 0.38

$2.11 €1.80

-74.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JOD 1.15

$1.97 €1.68

-17.77%

Eggs

$1.64 JOD 1.16

$3.44 €2.94

-52.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.30 JOD 3.05

$18.83 €16.08

-77.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 JOD 3.93

$9.45 €8.07

-41.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.48 JOD 8.14

$19.01 €16.24

-39.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 JOD 1.45

$2.72 €2.32

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$2.37 €2.03

-42.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$2.08 €1.77

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 JOD 0.51

$2.76 €2.36

-73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$1.97 €1.68

-64.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$1.79 €1.53

-59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 JOD 0.26

$1.51 €1.29

-76.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.90 €0.77

-35.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 JOD 1.49

$6.76 €5.77

-68.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.23 JOD 15.05

$7.55 €6.44

181.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 JOD 3.40

$1.44 €1.23

232.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 JOD 3.79

$2.41 €2.06

121.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 JOD 0.63

$3.03 €2.59

-70.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 JOD 49.10

$28.39 €24.25

143.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$4.43 €3.78

-83.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$2.05 €1.75

-33.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 JOD 4.98

$29.33 €25.05

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JOD 1.01

$1.89 €1.61

-24.87%

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

$27.6K JOD 19.6K

$38.7K €33.1K

-28.68%

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

$32.4K JOD 22.9K

$32.4K €27.6K

-0.00%

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

$70.5 JOD 49.95

$189 €161

-62.64%

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

$14.16 JOD 10.04

$22.21 €18.96

-36.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.36 JOD 15.14

$36.82 €31.44

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.17 JOD 19.97

$58.0 €49.52

-51.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$70.8 JOD 50.2

$20.99 €17.93

237.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 JOD 8.03

$11.05 €9.44

2.53%

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

$42.05 JOD 29.82

$726 €620

-94.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,123 JOD 796

$15.2K €13.0K

-92.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 JOD 43.19

$88.3 €75.4

-31.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 JOD 35.36

$36.98 €31.58

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 JOD 45.58

$103 €87.6

-37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.98 JOD 24.80

$119 €102

-70.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 JOD 126

$1,526 €1,304

-88.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 JOD 88.4

$1,218 €1,040

-89.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 JOD 277

$2,794 €2,386

-86.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 JOD 254

$2,027 €1,731

-82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 JOD 351

$2,404 €2,053

-79.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

3.39

84.37%

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

Last update for Madaba: April 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $177 in Madaba and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 385% 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: $49.00 in Madaba vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $320 per month, with Madaba 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

Madaba vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madaba and Barcelona differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($829 vs $2,341 including rent). Madaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 385% 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: $177 in Madaba versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42.05 in Madaba 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 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Madaba versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madaba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Madaba 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, Madaba 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 Madaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.