Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $873 in Rabat versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Rabat versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,110 in Rabat versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabat is 36% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.20 MAD 39.25

$18.39 €15.86

-77.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.00 MAD 420

$69.2 €59.7

-34.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 MAD 70.8

$14.13 €12.19

-46.36%

Cappuccino

$2.06 MAD 19.27

$3.13 €2.70

-34.19%

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

$0.67 MAD 6.29

$3.02 €2.60

-77.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.33

$1.96 €1.69

-81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 MAD 49.40

$4.00 €3.45

32.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MAD 30.46

$4.76 €4.11

-31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 MAD 8.70

$1.25 €1.08

-25.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 MAD 6.00

$2.16 €1.87

-70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MAD 18.40

$1.69 €1.45

16.57%

Eggs

$1.90 MAD 17.71

$4.93 €4.25

-61.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 MAD 112

$17.88 €15.42

-32.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 MAD 62.6

$9.61 €8.29

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MAD 120

$19.34 €16.68

-33.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MAD 15.24

$3.24 €2.79

-49.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 13.73

$2.18 €1.88

-32.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 MAD 8.80

$2.67 €2.30

-64.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.37

$2.77 €2.39

-67.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.66

$2.21 €1.91

-67.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.81

$2.19 €1.89

-61.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 MAD 3.86

$1.52 €1.31

-73.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.69

$0.92 €0.79

-33.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MAD 41.26

$7.12 €6.14

-37.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 MAD 72.2

$8.14 €7.02

-5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 MAD 26.26

$1.50 €1.29

87.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MAD 25.70

$2.78 €2.40

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.29

$3.15 €2.72

-81.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.43 MAD 247

$26.99 €23.28

-2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 MAD 7.31

$3.25 €2.80

-76.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 MAD 8.83

$1.50 €1.29

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 MAD 39.49

$34.89 €30.10

-87.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.22

$1.75 €1.51

-13.14%

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

$35.6K MAD 332.1K

$36.7K €31.6K

-2.99%

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

$32.8K MAD 306.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

5.97%

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

$35.43 MAD 331

$188 €162

-81.12%

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

$10.46 MAD 97.7

$15.44 €13.32

-32.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.16 MAD 319

$37.80 €32.60

-9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.58 MAD 286

$57.2 €49.32

-46.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 MAD 261

$16.80 €14.49

66.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 MAD 61.9

$11.58 €9.99

-42.75%

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

$189 MAD 1,765

$1,003 €865

-81.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,239 MAD 67.6K

$17.0K €14.7K

-57.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 MAD 476

$89.2 €77.0

-42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.30 MAD 423

$40.87 €35.25

10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MAD 858

$110 €94.9

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MAD 642

$123 €106

-43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MAD 4,796

$1,673 €1,443

-69.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MAD 2,545

$1,331 €1,148

-79.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 MAD 10.5K

$2,596 €2,239

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 MAD 6,361

$1,950 €1,682

-65.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MAD 19.2K

$7,573 €6,532

-72.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 MAD 11.3K

$5,370 €4,632

-77.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$745 MAD 6,961

$2,402 €2,072

-68.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

3.16

43.04%

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

Last update for Rabat: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Rabat and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 222% 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: $45.00 in Rabat vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $332 per month, with Rabat 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

Rabat vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabat and Barcelona differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($873 vs $2,495 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 222% lower in Barcelona. 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: $514 in Rabat versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Rabat versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $873 in Rabat versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat 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, Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.