Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sale versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Sale versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sale versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Sale costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 42% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 MAD 42.09

$17.08 €14.72

-73.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.89 MAD 304

$69.2 €59.7

-52.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 MAD 62.9

$13.78 €11.87

-50.65%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MAD 18.35

$2.76 €2.37

-28.26%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.36

$2.79 €2.40

-75.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.73

$1.99 €1.72

-79.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.2

$4.36 €3.76

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.88

$4.74 €4.09

-11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 MAD 8.79

$1.29 €1.11

-26.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MAD 5.31

$2.05 €1.77

-72.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.26

$1.99 €1.71

-6.03%

Eggs

$1.96 MAD 18.17

$3.39 €2.92

-42.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 MAD 121

$18.81 €16.21

-30.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MAD 55.6

$9.36 €8.07

-35.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 MAD 111

$19.12 €16.48

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MAD 14.06

$2.70 €2.32

-43.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.23

$2.34 €2.02

-43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$2.12 €1.83

-56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 MAD 8.21

$2.85 €2.46

-68.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.38

$1.97 €1.70

-59.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.45

$1.80 €1.55

-55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.62

$1.45 €1.25

-73.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.44

$0.86 €0.74

-31.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$6.78 €5.84

-35.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 MAD 44.74

$7.90 €6.81

-38.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MAD 25.20

$1.39 €1.20

95.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MAD 22.86

$2.37 €2.04

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.27

$2.92 €2.52

-80.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 MAD 232

$28.69 €24.72

-12.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.86

$4.46 €3.84

-88.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.40

$2.05 €1.77

-76.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 MAD 39.93

$29.55 €25.46

-85.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.04

$1.82 €1.56

-16.48%

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

$37.3K MAD 344.9K

$38.8K €33.5K

-3.97%

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

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

$33.1K €28.5K

-10.58%

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

$32.93 MAD 305

$189 €163

-82.60%

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

$11.00 MAD 102

$22.80 €19.65

-51.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 MAD 419

$37.59 €32.39

20.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 MAD 132

$57.7 €49.75

-75.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 MAD 217

$20.74 €17.87

13.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 59.3

$10.82 €9.33

-40.76%

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

$113 MAD 1,044

$728 €628

-84.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MAD 59.6K

$14.8K €12.7K

-56.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.49 MAD 402

$88.6 €76.4

-50.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MAD 470

$36.85 €31.75

37.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 994

$102 €87.9

5.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MAD 914

$116 €100

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 MAD 2,611

$1,569 €1,352

-82.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,619

$1,218 €1,050

-85.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MAD 4,724

$2,795 €2,409

-81.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,800

$1,975 €1,702

-84.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

$7,754 €6,680

-84.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 MAD 8,143

$5,176 €4,460

-82.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MAD 4,934

$2,343 €2,019

-77.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

3.39

41.89%

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

Last update for Sale: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Sale and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 339% 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: $33.00 in Sale vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $319 per month, with Sale 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

Sale vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sale and Barcelona differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($779 vs $2,337 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 339% 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: $282 in Sale versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $113 in Sale 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 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sale versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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, Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.