Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gabes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gabes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $581 in Gabes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $908 in Gabes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,234 in Gabes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 319% more expensive than in Gabes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Gabes is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.10

$2.76 TND 7.97

581.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.5

$18.78 TND 54.3

269.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.06

$3.52 TND 10.17

300.00%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.67

$0.78 TND 2.27

300.00%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.74 TND 2.15

293.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.27 TND 0.78

592.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$1.17 TND 3.37

241.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$1.58 TND 4.56

193.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.46 TND 1.32

158.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.22 TND 0.63

868.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.27 TND 3.69

44.88%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.64 TND 4.74

212.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.04

$12.65 TND 36.59

29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$5.78 TND 16.72

67.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.83

$14.23 TND 41.17

38.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.93 TND 5.57

62.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.97 TND 8.60

-26.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.95 TND 2.75

158.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.71 TND 2.06

290.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.83 TND 2.41

155.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$0.58 TND 1.67

284.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.36 TND 1.03

313.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.29 TND 0.85

213.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.22

$3.32 TND 9.59

118.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.10

$3.45 TND 9.97

140.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.75 TND 2.17

105.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$0.82 TND 2.36

226.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.18 TND 0.51

1605.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.20

$6.77 TND 19.58

283.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.30 TND 0.86

1013.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.20 TND 0.59

840.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.95

$3.98 TND 11.50

778.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.85 TND 2.45

104.71%

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

$36.5K €31.3K

$39.7K TND 114.9K

-8.10%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$29.3K TND 84.9K

7.39%

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

$183 €157

$68.9 TND 199

165.27%

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

$15.70 €13.45

$7.58 TND 21.92

107.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.45

$16.85 TND 48.73

117.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.81

$32.03 TND 92.6

67.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.67

$4.65 TND 13.46

268.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.86

$6.59 TND 19.05

74.66%

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

$952 €815

$58.6 TND 169

1525.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.9K

$3,083 TND 8,915

424.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.6

$32.11 TND 92.9

156.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.65

$41.45 TND 120

-2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.3

$76.4 TND 221

41.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$108 TND 313

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,428

$114 TND 329

1366.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,103

$72.0 TND 208

1688.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,280

$202 TND 583

1220.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,630

$118 TND 340

1519.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,433

$968 TND 2,799

676.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,434

$622 TND 1,798

732.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,099

$424 TND 1,226

478.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

-74.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Gabes: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $114 in Gabes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 478% 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 Gabes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $184 per month, with Gabes 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 Gabes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gabes differ by about 319% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $581 including rent). Gabes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 478% 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 $114 in Gabes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $58.6 in Gabes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $581 in Gabes versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gabes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gabes 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 Gabes 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 Gabes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 319% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.