Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Shaab versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,300 in Shaab versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Shaab versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Shaab costs roughly 46% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shaab is 1% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.28 KWD 3.46

$18.74 €16.33

-39.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 KWD 19.72

$69.5 €60.6

-7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 KWD 2.78

$13.77 €12.00

-34.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 KWD 1.49

Cappuccino

$5.32 KWD 1.63

$3.10 €2.70

71.61%

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

$0.75 KWD 0.23

$2.83 €2.47

-73.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 KWD 0.09

$1.88 €1.64

-84.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.27 €1.11

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$2.16 €1.88

-28.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.76 €1.53

9.09%

Eggs

$2.08 KWD 0.64

$5.13 €4.47

-59.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 KWD 1.36

$17.88 €15.59

-75.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 KWD 2.09

$9.65 €8.41

-29.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 KWD 3.10

$20.15 €17.56

-49.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 KWD 0.75

$3.25 €2.84

-24.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 KWD 0.57

$2.23 €1.94

-17.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$2.60 €2.27

-27.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$2.76 €2.40

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$2.21 €1.93

-40.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$2.12 €1.85

-29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

$1.55 €1.35

50.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 KWD 0.18

$0.95 €0.83

-37.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 KWD 0.86

$7.34 €6.40

-61.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 KWD 0.24

$3.11 €2.71

-75.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 KWD 1.53

$3.27 €2.85

51.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 KWD 0.99

$1.48 €1.29

116.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.98 KWD 4.91

$34.27 €29.88

-53.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.73 €1.51

-79.77%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,592

$36.4K €31.7K

-40.95%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,342

$30.5K €26.6K

-32.36%

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

$65.2 KWD 20.00

$187 €163

-65.18%

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

$23.06 KWD 7.08

$15.14 €13.20

52.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 KWD 9.35

$37.69 €32.85

-19.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 KWD 30.07

$55.9 €48.76

75.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 KWD 3.48

$11.41 €9.95

-0.70%

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

$297 KWD 91.3

$997 €869

-70.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,547 KWD 2,931

$16.5K €14.4K

-42.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.11 KWD 11.70

$92.6 €80.8

-58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 KWD 12.34

$41.22 €35.93

-2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 KWD 30.04

$111 €96.9

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 KWD 26.83

$125 €109

-30.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 KWD 222

$1,707 €1,488

-57.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 KWD 179

$1,286 €1,121

-54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 KWD 537

$2,565 €2,236

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 KWD 410

$1,942 €1,693

-31.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,253 KWD 999

$2,348 €2,047

38.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.16

106.65%

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

Last update for Shaab: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $724 in Shaab and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Shaab vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $336 per month, with Shaab 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

Shaab vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shaab and Barcelona differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,348 vs $2,476 including rent). Shaab is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Shaab, 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: $724 in Shaab versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Shaab versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shaab – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,348 in Shaab versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shaab but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shaab 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, Shaab 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 Shaab gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.