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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $562 in Kairouan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $869 in Kairouan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,176 in Kairouan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 320% more expensive than in Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kairouan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.39 TND 7.01

617.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$8.64 TND 25.36

687.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.33 TND 9.77

309.61%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$0.77 TND 2.25

261.04%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.61 TND 1.78

362.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.13 TND 0.38

1407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.49 TND 4.38

197.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.91 TND 5.60

141.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.49 TND 1.45

159.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.08 TND 0.23

2562.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.55 TND 4.55

28.39%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.50 TND 4.39

124.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.35 TND 33.31

67.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.61 TND 16.47

69.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.94 TND 35.03

56.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.18 TND 6.39

21.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.30 TND 6.76

2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.00 TND 2.94

109.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.74 TND 2.16

268.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.69 TND 2.03

184.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.73 TND 2.13

147.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.49 TND 1.42

208.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.27 TND 0.80

229.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.35 TND 9.84

102.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.63 TND 19.47

19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.14 TND 3.35

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.07 TND 3.14

124.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.33 TND 0.97

781.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$10.13 TND 29.74

182.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.31 TND 0.92

1377.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.33 TND 0.98

518.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$7.38 TND 21.66

289.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.79 TND 2.31

130.38%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$36.3K TND 106.4K

8.44%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.5K TND 101.2K

-5.84%

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

$187 €162

$46.19 TND 136

304.05%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$9.78 TND 28.71

127.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$14.61 TND 42.88

148.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$23.96 TND 70.3

140.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$12.48 TND 36.61

66.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.63 TND 13.58

132.61%

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

$725 €628

$107 TND 313

580.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$2,475 TND 7,263

512.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$23.83 TND 69.9

268.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$44.37 TND 130

-17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$47.47 TND 139

117.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$63.8 TND 187

85.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$115 TND 339

1219.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$134 TND 392

818.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$373 TND 1,093

632.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$274 TND 803

624.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$968 TND 2,842

671.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$568 TND 1,668

822.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$326 TND 956

634.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $115 in Kairouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 634% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $9.00 in Kairouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 320% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $562 including rent). Kairouan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 634% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $115 in Kairouan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $107 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 $562 in Kairouan versus $2,359 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 320% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.