Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tamarin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarin: $1,033 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Tamarin, Mauritius
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Tamarin
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$1,033
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Tamarin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Tamarin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,033 in Tamarin.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Tamarin $1,033

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,648 in Tamarin.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Tamarin $1,648

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,263 in Tamarin.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Tamarin $2,263

Living in Barcelona is roughly 138% more expensive than in Tamarin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Tamarin is 24% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.69
$6.00 MUR 280
193.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$32.24 MUR 1,502
109.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.07
$7.12 MUR 332
90.03%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$2.69 MUR 126
18.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.15 MUR 53.4
153.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$0.64 MUR 29.77
195.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$2.59 MUR 121
54.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$4.81 MUR 224
-5.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.49 MUR 69.3
-12.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$0.20 MUR 9.31
910.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.14 MUR 53.2
62.28%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$2.55 MUR 119
89.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.93
$3.75 MUR 175
346.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$6.26 MUR 292
45.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.52
$11.29 MUR 526
73.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$2.11 MUR 98.2
41.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.14 MUR 99.6
-5.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$1.40 MUR 65.4
92.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$3.01 MUR 140
-6.98%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$0.96 MUR 44.71
117.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.02 MUR 47.34
102.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$0.70 MUR 32.38
108.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.88 MUR 41.03
6.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$6.18 MUR 288
11.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$8.69 MUR 405
-9.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.69 MUR 78.6
-16.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.94 MUR 90.2
30.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.80
$0.87 MUR 40.41
260.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.70
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$4.24 MUR 197
-29.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$3.24 MUR 151
-54.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.78
$6.42 MUR 299
419.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.37 MUR 63.7
31.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$29.8K MUR 1.4M
11.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$30.7K MUR 1.4M
3.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$44.27 MUR 2,062
307.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.35
$10.47 MUR 488
32.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.06
$29.63 MUR 1,380
13.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.96
$41.34 MUR 1,926
24.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.81
$6.46 MUR 301
70.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €818
$125 MUR 5,833
632.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$3,083 MUR 143.6K
434.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$63.5 MUR 2,960
36.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.35
$53.8 MUR 2,507
-28.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.4
$85.9 MUR 4,002
23.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$58.9 MUR 2,745
103.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,516
$957 MUR 44.6K
77.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,209
$420 MUR 19.6K
222.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,322
$1,608 MUR 74.9K
61.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,840
$862 MUR 40.1K
139.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,169
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,575
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Tamarin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,972
$835 MUR 38.9K
164.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.67
-50.82%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Tamarin
$420 69% $935
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Tamarin
$200 37.8% $122
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Tamarin
$131 50.9% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Tamarin
$84 63% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Tamarin
$118 25.3% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Tamarin
$54 26.2% $19
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Tamarin
$24 * 50.7% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $957 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $32 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $200 per month, with Tamarin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇲🇺 Tamarin
🕒 Local time
22:59 10:59 PM
01:59 1:59 AM
3 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
4,371
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Tamarin 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Tamarin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Tamarin?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,033 in Tamarin, so Tamarin is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Tamarin?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Tamarin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $957 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Tamarin?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $125 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Tamarin – a meal for two runs $32 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Tamarin is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Tamarin?
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.
Is Barcelona or Tamarin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Tamarin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Tamarin?
It comes down to priorities – Tamarin wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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