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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $707 in Dar es Salaam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,107 in Dar es Salaam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,508 in Dar es Salaam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 244% more expensive than in Dar es Salaam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Dar es Salaam is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$1.93 TZS 5,071

874.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$19.23 TZS 50.4K

261.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$8.41 TZS 22.1K

67.42%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$1.96 TZS 5,134

59.18%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.36 TZS 950

708.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.21 TZS 549

790.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$0.90 TZS 2,357

344.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$1.91 TZS 5,024

142.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.84 TZS 2,192

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.60 TZS 1,582

255.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.05 TZS 2,762

75.24%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.91 TZS 5,006

168.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$9.32 TZS 24.5K

75.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$4.59 TZS 12.0K

111.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$3.80 TZS 9,982

417.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.54 TZS 6,675

23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.01 TZS 2,650

115.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.00 TZS 2,631

146.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.03 TZS 2,710

168.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.87 TZS 2,271

143.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.05 TZS 2,757

112.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.86 TZS 2,259

73.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.38 TZS 998

139.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.19 TZS 5,757

231.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$6.66 TZS 17.5K

24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.89 TZS 2,340

73.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.56 TZS 4,088

71.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.26 TZS 683

1080.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$14.83 TZS 38.9K

74.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$1.69 TZS 4,424

97.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.53 TZS 4,026

22.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$13.30 TZS 34.9K

163.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.30 TZS 3,411

33.85%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$16.7K TZS 43.9M

118.34%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$26.4K TZS 69.4M

19.24%

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

$183 €156

$56.3 TZS 147.6K

225.07%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$8.99 TZS 23.6K

74.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$34.32 TZS 90.0K

7.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$80.7 TZS 211.8K

-33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$8.16 TZS 21.4K

109.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$5.16 TZS 13.6K

123.06%

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

$952 €815

$560 TZS 1.5M

70.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$13.1K TZS 34.4M

23.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$14.37 TZS 37.7K

473.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$26.55 TZS 69.7K

52.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$44.64 TZS 117.1K

141.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$65.2 TZS 171.0K

92.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$590 TZS 1.5M

182.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$201 TZS 527.4K

540.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$1,337 TZS 3.5M

99.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$445 TZS 1.2M

327.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$1,551 TZS 4.1M

384.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$1,067 TZS 2.8M

385.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$279 TZS 731.3K

779.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

18.25

-82.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $590 in Dar es Salaam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 779% 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 $328 vs $150 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 244% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $707 including rent). Dar es Salaam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 779% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $590 in Dar es Salaam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $560 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 118% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $707 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,434 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 244% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.