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: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $518 in Gabes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $832 in Gabes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $1,147 in Gabes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 372% more expensive than in Gabes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Gabes is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$2.75 TND 8.24

567.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$17.08 TND 51.2

291.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$3.62 TND 10.83

279.83%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$0.84 TND 2.50

277.38%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$0.63 TND 1.88

357.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.25 TND 0.75

680.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$1.22 TND 3.67

218.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$1.55 TND 4.65

190.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.45 TND 1.34

184.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.23 TND 0.69

800.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.88 TND 5.62

-4.79%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$1.45 TND 4.34

247.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$12.45 TND 37.28

38.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$5.94 TND 17.79

58.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$14.85 TND 44.46

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$1.69 TND 5.05

88.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.95 TND 8.83

-29.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$0.95 TND 2.84

177.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$0.90 TND 2.68

214.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.89 TND 2.65

147.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.57 TND 1.69

275.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.35 TND 1.05

354.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.32 TND 0.97

190.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$3.34 TND 10.00

117.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$3.48 TND 10.42

129.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.73 TND 2.19

101.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$0.82 TND 2.46

237.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$0.19 TND 0.57

1447.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$6.87 TND 20.56

278.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$0.32 TND 0.97

856.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.18 TND 0.54

738.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$4.04 TND 12.10

743.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.82 TND 2.44

108.54%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$40.7K TND 121.9K

-10.89%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$28.9K TND 86.5K

6.14%

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

$183 €163

$45.17 TND 135

306.04%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$7.48 TND 22.41

97.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$16.84 TND 50.4

117.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$31.76 TND 95.1

75.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$4.75 TND 14.21

247.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$3.39 TND 10.14

233.33%

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

$983 €873

$57.0 TND 171

1624.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$2,000 TND 5,988

734.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$32.46 TND 97.2

183.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$40.63 TND 122

-1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$75.0 TND 225

44.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$67.8 TND 203

80.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$114 TND 342

1378.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$70.9 TND 212

1765.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$206 TND 616

1172.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$117 TND 352

1538.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$981 TND 2,938

647.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$634 TND 1,899

728.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$411 TND 1,232

462.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-73.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Gabes: September 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $114 in Gabes. 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Gabes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $187 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 372% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $518 including rent). Gabes 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $114 in Gabes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $57.0 in Gabes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $518 in Gabes versus $2,441 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 372% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.