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: $1,394 in Shaab versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Shaab versus $3,496 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Shaab versus $4,592 in Barcelona.

Living in Shaab costs roughly 42% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Shaab 5% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 KWD 3.09

$17.68 €15.22

-42.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 KWD 25.54

$70.1 €60.3

18.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 KWD 2.74

$13.66 €11.76

-34.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 KWD 1.15

Cappuccino

$6.02 KWD 1.85

$2.74 €2.36

119.71%

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

$0.68 KWD 0.21

$2.79 €2.40

-75.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 KWD 0.11

$1.96 €1.69

-81.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$1.29 €1.11

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

$2.05 €1.77

-37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$1.98 €1.71

-12.63%

Eggs

$2.12 KWD 0.65

$3.39 €2.92

-37.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.09 KWD 1.56

$18.64 €16.05

-72.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 KWD 1.97

$9.56 €8.23

-32.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 KWD 3.18

$18.83 €16.22

-44.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 KWD 0.74

$2.75 €2.37

-12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 KWD 0.58

$2.47 €2.13

-23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$2.10 €1.80

-14.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$2.82 €2.43

-48.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

$2.02 €1.74

-36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.85 €1.59

-29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 KWD 0.51

$1.51 €1.30

10.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$0.90 €0.77

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 KWD 0.89

$7.06 €6.08

-59.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KWD 0.25

$2.88 €2.48

-71.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.81 KWD 13.45

$28.39 €24.45

54.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 KWD 0.98

$4.38 €3.77

-26.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

$2.14 €1.84

52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.40 KWD 5.03

$29.15 €25.10

-43.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.86 €1.61

-80.65%

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

$21.2K KWD 6,496

$39.0K €33.6K

-45.70%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,003

$32.7K €28.2K

-40.18%

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

$62.2 KWD 19.09

$189 €163

-67.11%

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

$18.93 KWD 5.81

$22.71 €19.56

-16.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.71 KWD 7.89

$36.51 €31.43

-29.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.7 KWD 29.38

$57.6 €49.59

66.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.00 KWD 14.12

$21.37 €18.40

115.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 KWD 3.53

$10.81 €9.31

6.38%

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

$408 KWD 125

$726 €625

-43.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,554 KWD 2,012

$15.1K €13.0K

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.45 KWD 13.03

$87.7 €75.5

-51.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 KWD 12.98

$36.89 €31.77

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 KWD 26.93

$104 €89.2

-15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 KWD 25.18

$116 €100

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 KWD 238

$1,573 €1,355

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 KWD 188

$1,220 €1,050

-49.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 KWD 476

$2,711 €2,335

-42.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 KWD 390

$1,966 €1,693

-35.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,250 KWD 997

$2,375 €2,045

36.84%

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 Shaab: June 15, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Shaab and $1,573 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Shaab vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $321, with Shaab cheaper for home cooking.

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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,394 vs $2,399 including rent). Shaab is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shaab pays 37% more on average, 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: $777 in Shaab versus $1,573 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $408 in Shaab versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,394 in Shaab versus $2,399 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 72% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.