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: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $641 in Kairouan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $997 in Kairouan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $1,353 in Kairouan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 281% more expensive than in Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kairouan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$2.63 TND 7.88

597.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$15.97 TND 47.82

318.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$6.20 TND 18.58

121.77%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$0.94 TND 2.81

237.23%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$0.78 TND 2.34

269.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.41 TND 1.22

375.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$1.68 TND 5.03

131.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$2.74 TND 8.20

64.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.50 TND 1.50

156.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.07 TND 0.21

2857.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.72 TND 5.15

4.07%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$1.52 TND 4.54

231.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$10.29 TND 30.82

68.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$5.46 TND 16.36

72.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$11.70 TND 35.05

65.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$2.24 TND 6.70

41.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.22 TND 6.65

-5.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.13 TND 3.37

133.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$0.81 TND 2.43

249.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.70 TND 2.10

214.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.62 TND 1.85

245.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.50 TND 1.48

218.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.27 TND 0.81

244.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$3.41 TND 10.22

112.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$6.74 TND 20.19

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.27 TND 3.80

15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.56 TND 4.66

77.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$0.35 TND 1.06

740.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$9.99 TND 29.92

159.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$0.32 TND 0.96

856.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.33 TND 1.00

357.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$1.88 TND 5.63

1712.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.73 TND 2.19

134.25%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$40.0K TND 119.7K

-9.29%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$37.1K TND 111.1K

-17.38%

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

$183 €163

$67.7 TND 203

170.84%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$9.12 TND 27.30

61.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$19.99 TND 59.9

83.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$23.82 TND 71.3

134.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$13.80 TND 41.34

19.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$4.73 TND 14.16

138.90%

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

$983 €873

$111 TND 332

787.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$3,348 TND 10.0K

398.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$23.57 TND 70.6

289.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$63.8 TND 191

-37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$47.12 TND 141

130.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$89.0 TND 266

37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$119 TND 356

1320.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$155 TND 464

753.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$380 TND 1,137

589.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$280 TND 837

588.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$964 TND 2,886

661.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$623 TND 1,866

742.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$334 TND 1,001

592.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.28

-69.26%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $119 in Kairouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 592% 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 $16.00 in Kairouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $177 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 281% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $641 including rent). Kairouan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 592% 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 $119 in Kairouan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $111 in Kairouan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $641 in Kairouan versus $2,441 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 281% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.