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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,470 in Dakar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,312 in Dakar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,154 in Dakar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 70% more expensive than in Dakar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$5.22 F CFA 2,943

252.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$55.8 F CFA 31.5K

23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$11.44 F CFA 6,446

23.51%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.56 F CFA 2,006

-12.08%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.25 F CFA 707

141.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.89 F CFA 501

120.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.61 F CFA 1,470

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.38 F CFA 2,467

8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.85 F CFA 1,604

-56.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.77 F CFA 434

180.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.77 F CFA 996

-4.52%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.54 F CFA 1,431

94.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$17.81 F CFA 10.0K

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$9.26 F CFA 5,220

3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$11.35 F CFA 6,395

70.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.35 F CFA 1,886

-3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.97 F CFA 1,674

-10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.87 F CFA 1,054

48.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.39 F CFA 784

58.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.99 F CFA 556

121.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.14 F CFA 642

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.67 F CFA 378

37.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.17 F CFA 1,225

228.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$18.05 F CFA 10.2K

-54.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.62 F CFA 911

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.37 F CFA 1,897

-17.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.38 F CFA 215

728.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$81.3 F CFA 45.8K

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.25 F CFA 1,270

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.25 F CFA 1,267

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.68 F CFA 946

4.17%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$52.4K F CFA 29.5M

-30.01%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$49.8K F CFA 28.1M

-37.93%

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

$188 €161

$213 F CFA 119.9K

-11.78%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$11.99 F CFA 6,756

28.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$47.19 F CFA 26.6K

-19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$46.17 F CFA 26.0K

23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$24.08 F CFA 13.6K

-30.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$8.72 F CFA 4,916

32.80%

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

$1,003 €862

$330 F CFA 186.1K

203.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

57.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$59.7 F CFA 33.6K

49.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$47.50 F CFA 26.8K

-13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$89.6 F CFA 50.5K

22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$100 F CFA 56.4K

22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$841 F CFA 474.1K

98.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$445 F CFA 250.8K

199.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,781 F CFA 1.0M

45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$957 F CFA 539.4K

103.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,987 F CFA 2.8M

51.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,582 F CFA 891.6K

239.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$352 F CFA 198.4K

582.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.75

-63.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dakar: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $841 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 583% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $307 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,470 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 583% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $841 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $330 in Dakar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,470 in Dakar versus $2,495 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 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.