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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $877 in Dar es Salaam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,409 in Dar es Salaam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,941 in Dar es Salaam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than Dar es Salaam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Dar es Salaam is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.85 TZS 7,431

499.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$19.20 TZS 50.1K

260.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.65 TZS 20.0K

80.13%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.02 TZS 5,274

36.63%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.35 TZS 922

697.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.24 TZS 628

729.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.09 TZS 2,839

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.92 TZS 5,005

146.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.02 TZS 2,672

26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.79 TZS 2,051

159.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.08 TZS 2,826

84.26%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.08 TZS 5,438

62.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.33 TZS 24.3K

101.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.69 TZS 14.8K

64.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$4.28 TZS 11.2K

346.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.58 TZS 6,720

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.05 TZS 2,749

122.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.02 TZS 2,663

107.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.03 TZS 2,699

176.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.96 TZS 2,506

105.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.50 TZS 3,926

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.90 TZS 2,339

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.40 TZS 1,053

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.05 TZS 5,345

230.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.91 TZS 18.0K

14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.90 TZS 2,342

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.65 TZS 4,309

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.24 TZS 622

1116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$17.36 TZS 45.3K

65.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.47 TZS 3,843

203.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.50 TZS 3,908

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$13.64 TZS 35.6K

116.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.21 TZS 3,154

50.41%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$17.0K TZS 44.4M

128.39%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.5K TZS 45.5M

89.64%

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

$189 €163

$98.3 TZS 256.4K

92.56%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.67 TZS 27.8K

113.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$32.44 TZS 84.6K

15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$95.6 TZS 249.5K

-39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.90 TZS 12.8K

323.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.93 TZS 12.9K

119.47%

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

$728 €628

$255 TZS 664.1K

186.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$18.9K TZS 49.4M

-22.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$26.15 TZS 68.2K

238.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$42.61 TZS 111.2K

-13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$46.76 TZS 122.0K

118.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$83.0 TZS 216.6K

39.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$579 TZS 1.5M

171.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$257 TZS 669.8K

374.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,291 TZS 3.4M

116.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$654 TZS 1.7M

201.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,521 TZS 4.0M

409.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,105 TZS 2.9M

368.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$282 TZS 736.2K

730.46%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $579 in Dar es Salaam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 730% 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 $319 vs $164 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 167% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $877 including rent). Dar es Salaam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 730% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $579 in Dar es Salaam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $255 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 94% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $877 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,337 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 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.