Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ben Arous Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ben Arous

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $662 in Ben Arous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,051 in Ben Arous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,441 in Ben Arous.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 262% more expensive than in Ben Arous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Ben Arous is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$3.35 TND 9.84

427.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$21.66 TND 63.6

223.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$4.30 TND 12.62

217.67%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$0.75 TND 2.21

265.33%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.61 TND 1.78

357.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.28 TND 0.83

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.53 TND 4.50

184.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.97 TND 5.77

132.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.52 TND 1.53

148.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.20 TND 0.58

925.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.61 TND 4.72

22.98%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$1.63 TND 4.78

107.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$11.23 TND 32.98

65.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$6.12 TND 17.95

56.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$14.94 TND 43.85

26.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.11 TND 6.20

30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$3.06 TND 9.00

-19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.13 TND 3.33

85.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.70 TND 2.06

302.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.80 TND 2.34

152.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.76 TND 2.23

143.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.43 TND 1.25

251.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.32 TND 0.95

181.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$3.54 TND 10.40

99.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$7.76 TND 22.79

2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.09 TND 3.20

31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.25 TND 3.66

83.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.39 TND 1.15

638.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$13.33 TND 39.12

112.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$0.32 TND 0.94

1268.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.31 TND 0.90

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$3.44 TND 10.11

747.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.87 TND 2.56

113.79%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$40.2K TND 117.9K

-2.98%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$34.9K TND 102.6K

-6.43%

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

$189 €165

$49.85 TND 146

279.34%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$9.67 TND 28.38

134.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$21.17 TND 62.1

72.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$32.23 TND 94.6

78.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$16.81 TND 49.35

27.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$5.19 TND 15.23

108.29%

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

$726 €634

$109 TND 320

565.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$2,485 TND 7,294

507.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$44.81 TND 132

95.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$44.18 TND 130

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$97.5 TND 286

6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$80.8 TND 237

44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$187 TND 547

743.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$136 TND 399

797.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$380 TND 1,116

613.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$273 TND 802

619.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$937 TND 2,751

733.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$431 TND 1,265

1122.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$254 TND 747

833.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.96

-69.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $187 in Ben Arous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 833% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Ben Arous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $199 per month, with Ben Arous 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

Barcelona vs Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ben Arous differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $662 including rent). Ben Arous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 833% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $187 in Ben Arous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $109 in Ben Arous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $662 in Ben Arous versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ben Arous but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ben Arous 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, Barcelona and Ben Arous 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 Ben Arous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.