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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,318 in Dakar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,218 in Dakar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,117 in Dakar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 76% more expensive than in Dakar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Dakar is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.43 F CFA 3,117

225.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$52.2 F CFA 30.0K

33.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.20 F CFA 5,856

38.82%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.37 F CFA 2,512

-35.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.89 F CFA 512

215.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.08 F CFA 620

90.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.70 F CFA 1,552

70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.51 F CFA 2,587

3.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.57 F CFA 1,476

-52.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.67 F CFA 385

202.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.62 F CFA 928

22.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.76 F CFA 1,584

26.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.68 F CFA 7,278

44.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$9.44 F CFA 5,421

4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.61 F CFA 6,094

80.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.80 F CFA 1,605

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.98 F CFA 1,138

20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.58 F CFA 1,483

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.14 F CFA 1,228

28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.54 F CFA 883

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.34 F CFA 772

33.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.07 F CFA 615

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 F CFA 469

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.55 F CFA 893

360.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$17.02 F CFA 9,773

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.13 F CFA 649

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.23 F CFA 1,283

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.36 F CFA 208

736.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$79.0 F CFA 45.3K

-62.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.58 F CFA 1,480

68.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.80 F CFA 1,608

-23.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.55 F CFA 10.1K

68.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.78 F CFA 1,022

2.25%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$36.9K F CFA 21.2M

2.72%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$50.1K F CFA 28.7M

-35.33%

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

$189 €166

$140 F CFA 80.2K

35.37%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$9.57 F CFA 5,494

132.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

-24.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$55.5 F CFA 31.9K

4.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.51 F CFA 12.4K

-3.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$8.75 F CFA 5,024

24.23%

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

$706 €618

$268 F CFA 153.7K

163.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,349 F CFA 4.2M

102.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$68.1 F CFA 39.1K

31.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.58 F CFA 25.0K

-16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$105 F CFA 60.2K

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$128 F CFA 73.8K

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$931 F CFA 534.4K

69.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$369 F CFA 211.7K

235.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,907 F CFA 1.1M

42.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$933 F CFA 535.4K

118.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,047 F CFA 2.9M

49.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,444 F CFA 829.2K

262.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$420 F CFA 241.3K

462.46%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dakar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $931 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 462% 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 $52.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $279 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 76% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,318 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 462% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $931 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $268 in Dakar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,318 in Dakar versus $2,320 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 76% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.