Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbeya Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbeya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $431 in Mbeya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $664 in Mbeya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $898 in Mbeya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 479% more expensive than in Mbeya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Mbeya is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$22.79 TZS 59.9K

203.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.51 TZS 19.7K

88.15%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$1.47 TZS 3,863

112.93%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.36 TZS 956

738.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.40 TZS 1,045

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.73 TZS 1,918

447.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.55 TZS 1,437

127.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.91 TZS 2,386

137.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.92 TZS 2,420

83.70%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.28 TZS 5,995

116.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$3.74 TZS 9,830

378.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.78 TZS 9,951

154.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$3.44 TZS 9,038

462.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.15 TZS 3,026

181.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.78 TZS 2,038

179.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.96 TZS 2,526

178.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$0.72 TZS 1,892

284.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.92 TZS 2,415

140.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.77 TZS 2,035

184.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.55 TZS 1,451

176.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.77 TZS 2,035

19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.10 TZS 2,890

547.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$3.84 TZS 10.1K

111.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.74 TZS 1,943

102.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.11 TZS 2,917

150.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.39 TZS 1,036

707.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.11 TZS 2,916

192.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.87 TZS 4,908

-19.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$2.67 TZS 7,031

1206.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.19 TZS 3,133

47.06%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

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

$30.9K €26.6K

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

$188 €161

$23.73 TZS 62.4K

690.69%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$18.80 TZS 49.4K

-17.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$44.63 TZS 117.3K

-15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$37.61 TZS 98.9K

52.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$9.46 TZS 24.9K

22.41%

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

$1,003 €862

$185 TZS 486.7K

441.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$1,135 TZS 3.0M

1399.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$11.37 TZS 29.9K

684.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$9.52 TZS 25.0K

329.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$19.10 TZS 50.2K

475.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$26.66 TZS 70.1K

360.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$112 TZS 293.7K

1397.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$75.9 TZS 199.5K

1654.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$188 TZS 493.6K

1282.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$112 TZS 294.3K

1642.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$192 TZS 504.5K

1151.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-75.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $112 in Mbeya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1152% 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 $23.00 in Mbeya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $115 per month, with Mbeya 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 Mbeya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mbeya differ by about 479% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $431 including rent). Mbeya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1152% 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 $112 in Mbeya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $185 in Mbeya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mbeya – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $431 in Mbeya versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mbeya but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mbeya 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 Mbeya 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 Mbeya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 479% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.