Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kairouan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kairouan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $564 in Kairouan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $893 in Kairouan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,222 in Kairouan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 315% more expensive than Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Kairouan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.34 TND 6.76

652.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$8.65 TND 24.99

694.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.32 TND 9.60

314.16%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$0.71 TND 2.05

288.73%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.60 TND 1.73

363.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.14 TND 0.41

1364.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.49 TND 4.30

209.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.92 TND 5.56

139.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.45 TND 1.29

184.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.07 TND 0.20

2914.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.48 TND 4.27

33.11%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.55 TND 4.47

121.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$11.47 TND 33.14

64.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.54 TND 16.02

70.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.75 TND 33.95

61.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.21 TND 6.39

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.24 TND 6.47

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.01 TND 2.92

105.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.74 TND 2.14

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.69 TND 2.00

185.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.78 TND 2.24

129.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.48 TND 1.38

214.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.25 TND 0.72

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.46 TND 9.99

95.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.55 TND 21.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.14 TND 3.30

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.11 TND 3.20

117.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.32 TND 0.93

846.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$10.24 TND 29.59

177.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.31 TND 0.90

1329.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.33 TND 0.96

521.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$7.62 TND 22.01

284.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.76 TND 2.19

148.68%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$35.3K TND 102.1K

9.66%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$35.0K TND 101.1K

-7.45%

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

$189 €161

$46.52 TND 134

305.40%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.71 TND 28.06

128.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$14.99 TND 43.32

145.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$23.44 TND 67.7

147.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.84 TND 37.11

63.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.66 TND 13.46

137.12%

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

$726 €622

$110 TND 318

560.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,464 TND 7,120

517.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$23.79 TND 68.8

271.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$43.78 TND 127

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$48.30 TND 140

112.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$64.6 TND 187

84.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$116 TND 335

1217.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$133 TND 385

813.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$377 TND 1,089

641.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$269 TND 778

652.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$334 TND 965

620.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.6

-75.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $116 in Kairouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 620% 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 $9.00 in Kairouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $178 per month, with Kairouan 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 Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kairouan differ by about 315% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $564 including rent). Kairouan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 620% 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 $116 in Kairouan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $110 in Kairouan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $564 in Kairouan versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kairouan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kairouan 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 Kairouan 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 Kairouan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 315% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.