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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $558 in Kairouan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $881 in Kairouan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,204 in Kairouan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 330% more expensive than Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Kairouan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$2.41 TND 7.00

633.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$8.49 TND 24.67

725.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$3.31 TND 9.62

312.69%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$0.77 TND 2.22

255.84%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.61 TND 1.77

357.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.13 TND 0.38

1407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.47 TND 4.29

196.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.89 TND 5.50

142.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.46 TND 1.34

180.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.09 TND 0.26

2177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.47 TND 4.29

34.69%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.54 TND 4.47

120.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$11.31 TND 32.88

64.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.58 TND 16.22

71.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$12.00 TND 34.88

56.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.26 TND 6.57

21.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.36 TND 6.86

4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.05 TND 3.06

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.69 TND 2.00

308.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.70 TND 2.04

188.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.77 TND 2.25

140.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.48 TND 1.39

214.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.25 TND 0.73

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.49 TND 10.13

102.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$7.70 TND 22.37

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.10 TND 3.20

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.05 TND 3.06

118.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.33 TND 0.96

772.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$10.21 TND 29.68

178.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$0.31 TND 0.91

1312.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.34 TND 0.98

529.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$7.34 TND 21.35

297.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.80 TND 2.32

132.50%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.4K TND 103.0K

10.06%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.9K TND 101.5K

-6.37%

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

$189 €163

$44.88 TND 130

321.35%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$9.62 TND 27.96

136.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$14.89 TND 43.29

145.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$24.01 TND 69.8

139.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$12.61 TND 36.64

69.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.70 TND 13.66

130.00%

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

$726 €625

$108 TND 314

572.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$2,443 TND 7,103

517.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$23.95 TND 69.6

265.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$43.82 TND 127

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$46.97 TND 137

120.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$64.3 TND 187

81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$118 TND 342

1236.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$135 TND 392

805.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$381 TND 1,107

611.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$273 TND 794

619.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,148 TND 3,337

580.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$686 TND 1,994

667.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$337 TND 981

603.68%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $118 in Kairouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 604% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $8.00 in Kairouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $180 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 330% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $558 including rent). Kairouan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 604% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $118 in Kairouan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $108 in Kairouan. 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 $558 in Kairouan versus $2,399 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 330% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.