Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Monastir Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Monastir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $678 in Monastir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,094 in Monastir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,510 in Monastir.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 241% more expensive than in Monastir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Monastir is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$3.95 TND 11.57

335.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$24.15 TND 70.7

192.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$5.21 TND 15.25

169.10%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$0.88 TND 2.57

215.91%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.69 TND 2.02

302.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.29 TND 0.84

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$1.66 TND 4.85

172.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$1.81 TND 5.31

158.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.47 TND 1.37

174.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.15 TND 0.44

1326.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.73 TND 5.06

11.56%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.56 TND 4.57

123.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$12.36 TND 36.17

49.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$6.09 TND 17.82

56.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$14.05 TND 41.14

34.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.57 TND 4.60

66.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$3.08 TND 9.01

-24.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.93 TND 2.73

123.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$0.75 TND 2.20

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.70 TND 2.06

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.64 TND 1.86

189.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.43 TND 1.25

255.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.31 TND 0.92

190.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$3.35 TND 9.80

102.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$5.14 TND 15.05

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.25 TND 3.65

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.38 TND 4.05

68.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.36 TND 1.05

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$11.43 TND 33.46

150.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$0.32 TND 0.95

1331.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.31 TND 0.90

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$3.37 TND 9.86

776.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.82 TND 2.40

119.51%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$40.3K TND 118.1K

-4.65%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$36.3K TND 106.2K

-8.35%

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

$185 €162

$57.8 TND 169

219.90%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$10.03 TND 29.36

126.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$18.26 TND 53.5

101.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$21.02 TND 61.6

174.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$6.89 TND 20.16

207.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$5.31 TND 15.54

103.95%

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

$727 €637

$107 TND 314

577.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$3,171 TND 9,283

364.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$46.00 TND 135

90.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$61.2 TND 179

-38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$113 TND 331

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$82.0 TND 240

44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$203 TND 594

669.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$138 TND 403

787.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$477 TND 1,395

475.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$276 TND 808

621.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,251 TND 3,661

498.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$614 TND 1,796

748.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$354 TND 1,035

566.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-69.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Monastir: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $203 in Monastir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 566% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Monastir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $191 per month, with Monastir 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 Monastir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Monastir differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $678 including rent). Monastir is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 566% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $203 in Monastir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $107 in Monastir. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $678 in Monastir versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Monastir but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Monastir 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 Monastir 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 Monastir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.