Cost of Living Comparison Between Meknes and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Meknes and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $670 in Meknes versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Meknes versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,298 in Meknes versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Meknes costs roughly 71% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Meknes is 50% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 MAD 20.35

$17.61 €15.08

-87.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.47 MAD 115

$68.7 €58.8

-81.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MAD 49.91

$13.75 €11.77

-60.73%

Cappuccino

$1.27 MAD 11.76

$2.76 €2.36

-53.99%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.38

$2.78 €2.38

-75.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MAD 4.14

$2.05 €1.75

-78.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MAD 29.86

$4.61 €3.94

-29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.81

$4.59 €3.93

-8.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 MAD 8.01

$1.28 €1.10

-32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MAD 3.20

$2.11 €1.81

-83.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 11.64

$1.97 €1.69

-36.04%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 17.67

$3.44 €2.95

-44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 MAD 101

$18.83 €16.12

-42.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MAD 40.42

$9.45 €8.09

-53.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 MAD 86.3

$19.01 €16.27

-50.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 MAD 12.66

$2.72 €2.33

-49.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MAD 11.07

$2.37 €2.03

-49.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.59

$2.08 €1.78

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.17

$2.76 €2.36

-75.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.77

$1.97 €1.69

-62.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.83

$1.79 €1.53

-58.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.94

$1.51 €1.29

-71.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MAD 5.77

$0.90 €0.77

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.31

$6.76 €5.79

-35.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 MAD 107

$7.55 €6.46

52.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 MAD 26.76

$1.44 €1.23

100.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MAD 24.72

$2.41 €2.06

10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 MAD 4.19

$3.03 €2.59

-85.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.32 MAD 151

$28.39 €24.30

-42.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 MAD 3.69

$4.43 €3.79

-90.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.48

$2.05 €1.76

-76.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MAD 41.61

$29.33 €25.11

-84.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.18

$1.89 €1.62

-19.05%

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

$37.0K MAD 341.9K

$38.7K €33.2K

-4.60%

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

$28.5K MAD 263.8K

$32.4K €27.7K

-11.88%

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

$37.31 MAD 345

$189 €161

-80.22%

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

$10.72 MAD 99.1

$22.21 €19.01

-51.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.14 MAD 307

$36.82 €31.52

-9.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 MAD 231

$58.0 €49.64

-57.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 MAD 178

$20.99 €17.97

-8.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 MAD 40.51

$11.05 €9.46

-60.36%

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

$150 MAD 1,384

$726 €622

-79.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,643 MAD 15.2K

$15.2K €13.0K

-89.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 MAD 428

$88.3 €75.6

-47.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 MAD 366

$36.98 €31.66

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.2 MAD 529

$103 €87.8

-44.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 MAD 500

$119 €102

-54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 MAD 2,532

$1,526 €1,307

-82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 MAD 1,579

$1,218 €1,043

-85.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MAD 3,845

$2,794 €2,392

-85.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MAD 2,638

$2,027 €1,735

-85.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$954 MAD 8,824

$7,094 €6,073

-86.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$646 MAD 5,976

$4,849 €4,151

-86.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 MAD 4,593

$2,404 €2,058

-79.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.39

32.74%

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

Last update for Meknes: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Meknes and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 384% 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: $12.00 in Meknes vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $320 per month, with Meknes 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

Meknes vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes and Barcelona differ by about 250% in total monthly costs ($670 vs $2,341 including rent). Meknes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 384% 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: $274 in Meknes versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Meknes 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 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $670 in Meknes versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes 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, Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.