Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dakar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dakar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,327 in Dakar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,194 in Dakar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,061 in Dakar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than Dakar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.42 F CFA 3,058

224.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

28.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.21 F CFA 5,755

37.71%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.43 F CFA 2,498

-37.25%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.86 F CFA 484

225.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.09 F CFA 615

88.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.57 F CFA 1,450

73.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.36 F CFA 2,457

5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.52 F CFA 1,423

-50.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.64 F CFA 360

217.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.61 F CFA 906

19.25%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.88 F CFA 1,625

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$12.78 F CFA 7,209

44.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.50 F CFA 5,357

-0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.76 F CFA 6,069

78.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.72 F CFA 1,536

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.99 F CFA 1,121

23.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.61 F CFA 1,473

-18.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.08 F CFA 1,174

37.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.50 F CFA 844

36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.34 F CFA 758

38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.06 F CFA 600

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 F CFA 460

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$1.61 F CFA 908

343.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$15.38 F CFA 8,674

-48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.18 F CFA 667

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.22 F CFA 1,254

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.36 F CFA 204

727.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$80.5 F CFA 45.4K

-63.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.68 F CFA 1,514

71.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.83 F CFA 1,598

-26.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

62.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.71 F CFA 963

7.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.1K F CFA 20.4M

8.11%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$49.2K F CFA 27.8M

-33.60%

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

$188 €162

$138 F CFA 78.0K

35.74%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.92 F CFA 5,597

131.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$50.4 F CFA 28.4K

-27.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$56.4 F CFA 31.8K

1.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$21.41 F CFA 12.1K

-3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.02 F CFA 5,086

24.06%

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

$721 €620

$272 F CFA 153.4K

165.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$7,169 F CFA 4.0M

109.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$68.6 F CFA 38.7K

25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$43.93 F CFA 24.8K

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$103 F CFA 58.2K

-1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$131 F CFA 74.1K

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$914 F CFA 515.2K

67.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$369 F CFA 208.2K

230.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,863 F CFA 1.1M

44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$938 F CFA 528.9K

114.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,996 F CFA 2.8M

44.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,491 F CFA 841.1K

247.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$431 F CFA 243.2K

447.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.25

-58.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dakar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $914 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 447% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $276 per month, with Dakar 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 Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dakar differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,327 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 447% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $914 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $272 in Dakar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,327 in Dakar versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dakar 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 Dakar 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 Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.