Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahdia Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahdia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $562 in Mahdia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $897 in Mahdia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Mahdia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 344% more expensive than in Mahdia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Mahdia is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.63 TND 7.61

599.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$20.48 TND 59.2

237.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.85 TND 14.01

191.34%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$0.94 TND 2.73

232.98%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.61 TND 1.75

395.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.19 TND 0.55

931.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.01 TND 2.93

296.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$1.50 TND 4.33

217.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.45 TND 1.29

177.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.27 TND 0.77

700.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.36 TND 3.94

24.26%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.64 TND 4.74

200.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$11.95 TND 34.56

49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$5.24 TND 15.16

83.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$14.99 TND 43.33

29.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.84 TND 8.21

14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.94 TND 8.49

-25.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.47 TND 4.26

81.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.75 TND 2.16

269.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.64 TND 1.85

245.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.35 TND 1.02

525.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.42 TND 1.20

261.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.32 TND 0.94

187.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.60 TND 10.42

97.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$3.52 TND 10.18

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.59 TND 4.59

-5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.30 TND 3.75

113.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.33 TND 0.94

854.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$13.45 TND 38.90

100.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.32 TND 0.93

915.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.28 TND 0.81

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.90 TND 2.60

94.44%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$40.8K TND 118.0K

-10.20%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$41.4K TND 119.6K

-25.20%

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

$188 €161

$56.6 TND 164

231.38%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$7.52 TND 21.74

105.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$20.75 TND 60.0

82.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$21.02 TND 60.8

172.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$7.52 TND 21.75

123.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$7.02 TND 20.29

64.96%

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

$1,003 €863

$111 TND 320

805.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$1,027 TND 2,968

1557.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$40.31 TND 117

121.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$34.83 TND 101

17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$79.2 TND 229

38.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$24.10 TND 69.7

408.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$130 TND 376

1186.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$102 TND 295

1205.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$300 TND 867

766.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$177 TND 512

1000.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$676 TND 1,953

1021.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$203 TND 586

2550.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$236 TND 682

917.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.33

-69.41%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $130 in Mahdia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 918% 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 $20.00 in Mahdia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $193 per month, with Mahdia 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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mahdia differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $562 including rent). Mahdia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 918% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $130 in Mahdia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $111 in Mahdia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $562 in Mahdia versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahdia but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mahdia 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 Mahdia 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 Mahdia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.