Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbabane and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbabane and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Mbabane versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,171 in Mbabane versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,590 in Mbabane versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Mbabane costs roughly 68% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mbabane is 44% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 SZL 49.29

$17.08 €14.72

-82.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.83 SZL 466

$69.2 €59.7

-58.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.28 SZL 36.79

$13.78 €11.87

-83.45%

Cappuccino

$1.96 SZL 31.63

$2.76 €2.37

-28.99%

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

$0.98 SZL 15.77

$2.79 €2.40

-64.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 SZL 9.51

$1.99 €1.72

-70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SZL 27.42

$4.36 €3.76

-61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SZL 27.66

$4.74 €4.09

-63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 SZL 17.34

$1.29 €1.11

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 SZL 12.49

$2.05 €1.77

-62.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 SZL 20.46

$1.99 €1.71

-36.18%

Eggs

$1.63 SZL 26.37

$3.39 €2.92

-51.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 SZL 142

$18.81 €16.21

-53.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 SZL 80.9

$9.36 €8.07

-46.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.32 SZL 85.9

$19.12 €16.48

-72.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 SZL 23.92

$2.70 €2.32

-45.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 SZL 11.43

$2.34 €2.02

-69.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 SZL 14.76

$2.12 €1.83

-57.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SZL 22.72

$2.85 €2.46

-50.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 SZL 17.02

$1.97 €1.70

-46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SZL 19.64

$1.80 €1.55

-32.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 SZL 8.48

$1.45 €1.25

-63.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 SZL 12.68

$0.86 €0.74

-8.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 SZL 42.91

$6.78 €5.84

-60.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 SZL 98.6

$7.90 €6.81

-22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SZL 23.17

$1.39 €1.20

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 SZL 22.81

$2.37 €2.04

-40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 SZL 18.62

$2.92 €2.52

-60.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.97 SZL 468

$28.69 €24.72

0.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 SZL 54.9

$4.46 €3.84

-23.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SZL 44.23

$2.05 €1.77

33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 SZL 53.3

$29.55 €25.46

-88.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 SZL 18.24

$1.82 €1.56

-37.91%

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

$17.1K SZL 275.7K

$38.8K €33.5K

-56.05%

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

$20.8K SZL 335.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

-37.25%

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

$78.1 SZL 1,261

$189 €163

-58.74%

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

$34.92 SZL 564

$22.80 €19.65

53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.54 SZL 461

$37.59 €32.39

-24.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.94 SZL 451

$57.7 €49.75

-51.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.09 SZL 82.2

$20.74 €17.87

-75.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 SZL 57.5

$10.82 €9.33

-67.10%

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

$105 SZL 1,701

$728 €628

-85.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,609 SZL 74.5K

$14.8K €12.7K

-68.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.96 SZL 726

$88.6 €76.4

-49.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 SZL 373

$36.85 €31.75

-37.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 SZL 1,184

$102 €87.9

-28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 SZL 1,321

$116 €100

-29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 SZL 4,243

$1,569 €1,352

-83.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 SZL 2,982

$1,218 €1,050

-84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 SZL 7,975

$2,795 €2,409

-82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 SZL 5,940

$1,975 €1,702

-81.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$495 SZL 7,996

$7,754 €6,680

-93.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$373 SZL 6,020

$5,176 €4,460

-92.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 SZL 10.8K

$2,343 €2,019

-71.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

3.39

242.77%

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

Last update for Mbabane: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Mbabane and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 251% 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: $29.00 in Mbabane vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $319 per month, with Mbabane 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

Mbabane vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbabane and Barcelona differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($752 vs $2,337 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 251% 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: $263 in Mbabane versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $105 in Mbabane 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 100% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Mbabane versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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, Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.