Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,317 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Sabah Al Salem versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,151 in Sabah Al Salem versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Sabah Al Salem costs roughly 44% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sabah Al Salem is 1% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 KWD 2.41

$17.15 €14.96

-54.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 KWD 18.56

$68.1 €59.3

-12.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 KWD 2.61

$13.64 €11.89

-38.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 KWD 1.05

Cappuccino

$5.54 KWD 1.72

$2.78 €2.42

99.28%

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

$0.60 KWD 0.19

$2.82 €2.46

-78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.96 €1.71

-81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 KWD 0.44

$1.27 €1.11

11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 KWD 0.34

$2.13 €1.86

-49.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.99 €1.73

-17.09%

Eggs

$1.97 KWD 0.61

$3.37 €2.93

-41.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 KWD 1.44

$18.96 €16.53

-75.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 KWD 2.01

$9.53 €8.31

-31.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 KWD 3.02

$18.73 €16.33

-48.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 KWD 0.70

$2.65 €2.31

-15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 KWD 0.52

$2.35 €2.05

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$2.09 €1.82

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 KWD 0.44

$2.73 €2.38

-48.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 KWD 0.40

$1.96 €1.71

-34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$1.81 €1.58

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 KWD 0.50

$1.51 €1.32

7.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KWD 0.13

$0.89 €0.78

-51.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.64 KWD 1.13

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 KWD 0.94

$6.78 €5.91

-55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$2.91 €2.54

-69.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.78 KWD 13.59

$28.66 €24.98

52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 KWD 1.01

$4.58 €3.99

-28.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 KWD 1.03

$2.04 €1.78

62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.13 KWD 5.00

$28.72 €25.03

-43.84%

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)

$20.8K KWD 6,439

$39.3K €34.3K

-47.22%

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

$18.9K KWD 5,867

$32.5K €28.3K

-41.78%

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

$62.7 KWD 19.45

$187 €163

-66.42%

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

$18.64 KWD 5.78

$22.29 €19.43

-16.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.37 KWD 7.87

$36.37 €31.71

-30.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.0 KWD 29.18

$57.5 €50.2

63.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.82 KWD 14.22

$20.74 €18.08

120.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 KWD 3.56

$10.77 €9.39

6.50%

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

$285 KWD 88.5

$725 €632

-60.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,128 KWD 1,901

$15.2K €13.2K

-59.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 KWD 13.34

$87.9 €76.6

-51.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 KWD 13.33

$36.81 €32.09

16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 KWD 27.20

$103 €90.2

-15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 KWD 25.85

$119 €103

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 KWD 246

$1,524 €1,328

-47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 KWD 187

$1,227 €1,070

-50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 KWD 490

$2,727 €2,378

-42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 KWD 406

$1,984 €1,730

-34.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,008 KWD 933

$2,393 €2,086

25.72%

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 Sabah Al Salem: July 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Sabah Al Salem and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Sabah Al Salem vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $319 per month, with Sabah Al Salem 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

Sabah Al Salem vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabah Al Salem and Barcelona differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,317 vs $2,359 including rent). Sabah Al Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Sabah Al Salem, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Sabah Al Salem versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,317 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sabah Al Salem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sabah Al Salem 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, Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.