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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $432 in Mbeya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $669 in Mbeya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $905 in Mbeya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 447% more expensive than Mbeya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mbeya is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$23.32 TZS 60.1K

193.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.94 TZS 20.5K

77.08%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.58 TZS 4,065

75.95%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.41 TZS 1,054

582.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.41 TZS 1,048

402.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.73 TZS 1,896

510.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.55 TZS 1,426

125.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.99 TZS 2,555

105.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.00 TZS 2,576

92.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.28 TZS 5,881

45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$3.92 TZS 10.1K

370.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.81 TZS 9,832

149.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$3.53 TZS 9,101

442.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.15 TZS 2,959

129.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.79 TZS 2,048

210.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.96 TZS 2,464

120.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.74 TZS 1,908

285.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.95 TZS 2,461

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.81 TZS 2,076

128.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.55 TZS 1,430

167.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.75 TZS 1,922

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$1.19 TZS 3,078

500.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$3.89 TZS 10.0K

102.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.80 TZS 2,075

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.17 TZS 3,023

97.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.37 TZS 962

705.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.19 TZS 3,059

286.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.76 TZS 4,540

17.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.76 TZS 7,108

957.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.27 TZS 3,263

44.88%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

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

$32.7K €28.1K

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

$188 €162

$24.83 TZS 64.0K

656.42%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$19.42 TZS 50.1K

18.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$45.89 TZS 118.4K

-20.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.67 TZS 99.7K

48.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.49 TZS 24.5K

17.91%

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

$721 €620

$193 TZS 498.9K

272.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,179 TZS 3.0M

1176.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$11.44 TZS 29.5K

653.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$9.78 TZS 25.2K

279.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$19.68 TZS 50.7K

418.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$27.31 TZS 70.4K

324.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$115 TZS 297.1K

1231.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$78.5 TZS 202.5K

1454.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$191 TZS 492.9K

1310.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$114 TZS 295.2K

1659.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$191 TZS 491.4K

1138.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-73.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $115 in Mbeya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1138% 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 $23.00 in Mbeya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $118 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 447% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $432 including rent). Mbeya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1138% 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 $115 in Mbeya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $193 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $432 in Mbeya versus $2,367 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 447% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.