Cost of Living Comparison Between Qairawan and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Qairawan and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,318 in Qairawan versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Qairawan versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,157 in Qairawan versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Qairawan costs roughly 43% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qairawan is 1% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 KWD 2.37

$17.66 €15.45

-56.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 KWD 17.99

$69.7 €61.0

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 KWD 2.69

$14.16 €12.39

-38.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$5.34 KWD 1.64

$2.80 €2.45

90.71%

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

$0.58 KWD 0.18

$2.81 €2.46

-79.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$2.06 €1.81

-82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$1.23 €1.08

19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 KWD 0.34

$2.03 €1.78

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.98 €1.73

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.04 KWD 0.63

$3.49 €3.05

-41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 KWD 1.34

$18.33 €16.04

-76.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KWD 1.97

$9.83 €8.60

-34.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 KWD 2.93

$19.13 €16.73

-50.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 KWD 0.71

$2.73 €2.38

-15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$2.38 €2.09

-32.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$2.08 €1.82

-26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.75 €2.41

-48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$1.96 €1.72

-35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$1.79 €1.57

-37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$1.48 €1.29

8.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$0.91 €0.80

-50.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 KWD 0.90

$7.13 €6.24

-59.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$3.01 €2.63

-70.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 KWD 13.59

$29.35 €25.68

50.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

$4.36 €3.82

-25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 KWD 0.98

$2.13 €1.86

50.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 KWD 5.08

$29.60 €25.90

-44.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.82 €1.59

-81.32%

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

$20.1K KWD 6,165

$37.9K €33.1K

-47.07%

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

$19.4K KWD 5,972

$32.4K €28.3K

-40.01%

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

$62.1 KWD 19.09

$189 €165

-67.14%

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

$18.09 KWD 5.56

$22.29 €19.50

-18.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.13 KWD 8.03

$37.16 €32.51

-29.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 KWD 29.30

$58.0 €50.8

64.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.20 KWD 14.20

$20.66 €18.08

123.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 KWD 3.58

$10.87 €9.51

7.18%

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

$279 KWD 85.8

$706 €618

-60.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,047 KWD 1,859

$14.9K €13.0K

-59.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.38 KWD 12.72

$89.4 €78.3

-53.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 KWD 13.15

$36.60 €32.02

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 KWD 26.55

$104 €91.0

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 KWD 25.58

$119 €104

-30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 KWD 245

$1,579 €1,381

-49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 KWD 187

$1,238 €1,083

-50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 KWD 486

$2,712 €2,373

-41.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 KWD 395

$2,039 €1,784

-36.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

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 Qairawan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Qairawan and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Qairawan vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $320 per month, with Qairawan 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

Qairawan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qairawan and Barcelona differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,318 vs $2,320 including rent). Qairawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,978 in Qairawan and $3,480 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Qairawan versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Qairawan versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,318 in Qairawan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qairawan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Qairawan 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, Qairawan 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 Qairawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.