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: $826 in Madaba versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Madaba versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,015 in Madaba versus $4,599 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 39% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 JOD 3.95

$17.08 €14.72

-67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.35 JOD 34.93

$69.2 €59.7

-28.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 JOD 4.54

$13.78 €11.87

-53.41%

Cappuccino

$3.50 JOD 2.48

$2.76 €2.37

26.81%

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

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$2.79 €2.40

-82.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 JOD 0.27

$1.99 €1.72

-80.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 JOD 3.08

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 JOD 4.84

$4.74 €4.09

44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.29 €1.11

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 JOD 0.39

$2.05 €1.77

-73.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 JOD 1.20

$1.99 €1.71

-14.57%

Eggs

$1.65 JOD 1.17

$3.39 €2.92

-51.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 JOD 3.08

$18.81 €16.21

-76.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 JOD 3.90

$9.36 €8.07

-41.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 JOD 8.05

$19.12 €16.48

-40.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 JOD 1.39

$2.70 €2.32

-27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 JOD 1.01

$2.34 €2.02

-39.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 JOD 0.99

$2.12 €1.83

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$2.85 €2.46

-74.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.97 €1.70

-65.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 JOD 0.49

$1.80 €1.55

-61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 JOD 0.24

$1.45 €1.25

-76.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 JOD 0.38

$0.86 €0.74

-37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 JOD 1.53

$6.78 €5.84

-68.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.47 JOD 15.19

$7.90 €6.81

171.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 JOD 3.34

$1.39 €1.20

239.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 JOD 3.80

$2.37 €2.04

126.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JOD 0.63

$2.92 €2.52

-69.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 JOD 49.97

$28.69 €24.72

146.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$4.46 €3.84

-83.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$2.05 €1.77

-32.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 JOD 4.86

$29.55 €25.46

-76.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JOD 0.96

$1.82 €1.56

-25.27%

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

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

$38.8K €33.5K

-29.80%

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

$31.9K JOD 22.6K

$33.1K €28.5K

-3.55%

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

$71.7 JOD 50.7

$189 €163

-62.12%

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

$13.85 JOD 9.80

$22.80 €19.65

-39.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.81 JOD 14.73

$37.59 €32.39

-44.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.71 JOD 20.32

$57.7 €49.75

-50.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$69.7 JOD 49.35

$20.74 €17.87

236.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 JOD 7.91

$10.82 €9.33

3.23%

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

$43.13 JOD 30.53

$728 €628

-94.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,111 JOD 786

$14.8K €12.7K

-92.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 JOD 43.59

$88.6 €76.4

-30.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.62 JOD 35.12

$36.85 €31.75

34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 JOD 45.37

$102 €87.9

-37.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 JOD 25.41

$116 €100

-69.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$175 JOD 124

$1,569 €1,352

-88.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 JOD 88.4

$1,218 €1,050

-89.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 JOD 278

$2,795 €2,409

-85.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 JOD 246

$1,975 €1,702

-82.43%

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)

$487 JOD 345

$2,343 €2,019

-79.20%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $175 in Madaba and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 381% 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 $319 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 183% in total monthly costs ($826 vs $2,337 including rent). Madaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 381% 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: $175 in Madaba versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $43.13 in Madaba 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 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Madaba versus $2,337 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 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.