Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dar es Salaam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dar es Salaam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $871 in Dar es Salaam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,393 in Dar es Salaam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,914 in Dar es Salaam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 169% more expensive than Dar es Salaam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Dar es Salaam is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.79 TZS 7,210

531.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$19.41 TZS 50.2K

253.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.93 TZS 20.5K

73.39%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.95 TZS 5,053

41.54%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.39 TZS 1,003

612.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.22 TZS 568

831.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.07 TZS 2,778

330.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.95 TZS 5,038

135.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.08 TZS 2,790

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.81 TZS 2,108

160.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.12 TZS 2,911

75.89%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.97 TZS 5,112

74.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.46 TZS 24.5K

99.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.83 TZS 15.1K

62.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$4.37 TZS 11.3K

335.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.61 TZS 6,764

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.05 TZS 2,724

125.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.05 TZS 2,729

98.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.04 TZS 2,702

165.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.94 TZS 2,441

109.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.53 TZS 3,968

16.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.91 TZS 2,350

65.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.44 TZS 1,138

104.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.04 TZS 5,289

231.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.44 TZS 16.7K

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.97 TZS 2,502

48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.62 TZS 4,205

48.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.26 TZS 673

1065.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$17.10 TZS 44.3K

66.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.49 TZS 3,852

197.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.51 TZS 3,897

35.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.43 TZS 34.8K

118.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.25 TZS 3,244

51.20%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$16.8K TZS 43.5M

130.71%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$17.2K TZS 44.6M

88.06%

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

$189 €161

$98.3 TZS 254.5K

91.83%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$10.90 TZS 28.2K

103.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$31.96 TZS 82.7K

15.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$95.7 TZS 247.7K

-39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$4.79 TZS 12.4K

338.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.75 TZS 12.3K

132.63%

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

$726 €622

$253 TZS 655.0K

187.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$19.3K TZS 49.9M

-21.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$25.75 TZS 66.7K

242.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$41.74 TZS 108.1K

-11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$46.25 TZS 119.7K

121.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$85.7 TZS 221.8K

39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$592 TZS 1.5M

157.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$256 TZS 663.1K

375.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,299 TZS 3.4M

115.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$646 TZS 1.7M

213.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,522 TZS 3.9M

366.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,105 TZS 2.9M

338.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$263 TZS 681.9K

812.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

19.67

-82.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $592 in Dar es Salaam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 813% 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 $19.00 in Dar es Salaam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $167 per month, with Dar es Salaam 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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dar es Salaam differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $871 including rent). Dar es Salaam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 813% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $592 in Dar es Salaam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $253 in Dar es Salaam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $871 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dar es Salaam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dar es Salaam 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 Dar es Salaam 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 Dar es Salaam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.