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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $575 in Mahdia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $880 in Mahdia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,185 in Mahdia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 312% more expensive than Mahdia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mahdia is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.59 TND 7.50

578.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$20.57 TND 59.6

232.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$3.38 TND 9.78

315.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$0.71 TND 2.05

291.55%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.57 TND 1.64

391.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.21 TND 0.62

880.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.99 TND 2.88

350.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.49 TND 4.30

209.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.44 TND 1.27

181.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.18 TND 0.53

1027.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.53 TND 4.44

25.49%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.57 TND 4.54

110.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.17 TND 32.35

65.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$5.57 TND 16.13

70.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.32 TND 38.58

43.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.26 TND 6.54

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.83 TND 8.19

-13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.01 TND 2.93

109.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.69 TND 2.01

313.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.66 TND 1.90

209.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.32 TND 0.94

478.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.32 TND 0.94

359.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.31 TND 0.89

170.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.53 TND 10.22

102.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$3.45 TND 10.00

128.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 TND 3.31

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.10 TND 3.18

110.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.35 TND 1.02

751.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$10.07 TND 29.17

190.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.30 TND 0.87

1433.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.24 TND 0.69

762.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$7.66 TND 22.17

280.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.81 TND 2.35

127.16%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.4K TND 102.6K

10.12%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.7K TND 100.4K

-5.68%

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

$188 €162

$46.34 TND 134

305.31%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$9.81 TND 28.42

133.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$14.97 TND 43.36

145.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$20.99 TND 60.8

173.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$7.56 TND 21.89

173.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.60 TND 13.33

143.26%

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

$721 €621

$109 TND 316

559.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,007 TND 2,917

1393.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.01 TND 130

91.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$34.01 TND 98.5

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$103 TND 298

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$23.42 TND 67.8

394.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$142 TND 410

982.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$134 TND 388

810.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$289 TND 837

832.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$159 TND 461

1165.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,030 TND 2,984

600.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$645 TND 1,868

704.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$238 TND 689

891.17%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $142 in Mahdia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 891% 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 $21.00 in Mahdia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $178 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 312% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $575 including rent). Mahdia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 891% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $142 in Mahdia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $109 in Mahdia. 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 $575 in Mahdia versus $2,367 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 312% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.