Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sfax Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sfax

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $628 in Sfax.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,005 in Sfax.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,382 in Sfax.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 275% more expensive than Sfax, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Sfax is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$3.36 TND 9.67

425.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$19.94 TND 57.4

241.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$3.43 TND 9.89

307.00%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$0.72 TND 2.07

283.33%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.64 TND 1.85

331.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.23 TND 0.66

756.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.50 TND 4.31

202.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.89 TND 5.45

139.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$0.54 TND 1.54

129.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$0.18 TND 0.52

1033.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.54 TND 4.44

24.03%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.58 TND 4.56

114.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.44 TND 32.94

60.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$5.77 TND 16.62

62.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$13.43 TND 38.68

40.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.16 TND 6.23

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.98 TND 8.58

-19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.05 TND 3.02

101.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$0.69 TND 2.00

291.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.74 TND 2.13

177.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.71 TND 2.05

150.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.52 TND 1.50

182.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.33 TND 0.96

175.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.50 TND 10.09

100.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$6.86 TND 19.76

10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.10 TND 3.17

30.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.09 TND 3.14

112.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.18 TND 0.53

1533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$10.00 TND 28.80

193.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$0.30 TND 0.85

1410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.31 TND 0.88

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$7.52 TND 21.65

285.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$0.88 TND 2.53

114.77%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$35.8K TND 103.0K

9.18%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$34.4K TND 99.1K

-5.76%

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

$189 €161

$45.20 TND 130

317.72%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$9.57 TND 27.55

132.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$15.11 TND 43.50

142.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$27.00 TND 77.8

114.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$7.42 TND 21.37

187.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$4.64 TND 13.36

137.28%

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

$731 €622

$110 TND 317

563.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$2,460 TND 7,086

502.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$45.58 TND 131

95.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$44.60 TND 128

-16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$101 TND 290

3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$65.6 TND 189

77.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$188 TND 542

724.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$133 TND 384

812.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$336 TND 968

732.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$251 TND 722

700.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$995 TND 2,867

619.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$669 TND 1,927

650.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$325 TND 936

657.93%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sfax: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $188 in Sfax. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 658% 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 in Barcelona vs $20 in Sfax for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $191 per month, with Sfax 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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sfax differ by about 275% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $628 including rent). Sfax is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 658% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $188 in Sfax. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $110 in Sfax. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $628 in Sfax versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax 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 Sfax 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 Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 275% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.