Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tangier Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tangier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $874 in Tangier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,341 in Tangier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,808 in Tangier.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 171% more expensive than Tangier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tangier is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.43 MAD 40.68

296.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$30.25 MAD 278

126.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.23 MAD 66.5

94.47%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.72 MAD 15.77

61.63%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.70 MAD 6.47

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.33 MAD 3.00

524.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.94 MAD 36.20

13.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.31 MAD 30.39

39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.05 MAD 9.65

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.88 MAD 8.04

130.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.68 MAD 15.47

14.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.19 MAD 20.15

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.24 MAD 94.1

79.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.86 MAD 63.1

38.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$12.55 MAD 115

52.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.30 MAD 11.92

103.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.36 MAD 12.49

80.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.76 MAD 6.95

178.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.79 MAD 7.28

260.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.68 MAD 6.26

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.70 MAD 6.46

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.54 MAD 4.92

172.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 MAD 5.53

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.50 MAD 41.38

58.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$9.61 MAD 88.3

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.25 MAD 29.90

-57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.26 MAD 29.95

-29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.45 MAD 4.16

562.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$16.55 MAD 152

76.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.52 MAD 4.82

784.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.48 MAD 4.39

331.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.97 MAD 91.6

192.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.62 MAD 14.85

13.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.4K MAD 343.5K

4.38%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$23.6K MAD 217.1K

38.39%

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

$188 €162

$82.7 MAD 760

127.11%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$11.28 MAD 104

103.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$39.92 MAD 367

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$28.60 MAD 263

100.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$39.05 MAD 359

-46.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$7.52 MAD 69.1

48.80%

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

$721 €620

$96.9 MAD 890

644.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,455 MAD 59.3K

133.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$31.68 MAD 291

172.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$45.40 MAD 417

-18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$86.9 MAD 799

17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$83.9 MAD 771

38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$440 MAD 4,047

248.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$237 MAD 2,182

414.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$881 MAD 8,092

206.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$441 MAD 4,048

356.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,884 MAD 17.3K

283.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,255 MAD 11.5K

313.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$521 MAD 4,791

352.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.35

-22.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tangier: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $440 in Tangier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 353% 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 $30.00 in Tangier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $214 per month, with Tangier 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 Tangier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tangier differ by about 171% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $874 including rent). Tangier is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 353% 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 $440 in Tangier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $96.9 in Tangier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $874 in Tangier versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tangier but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tangier 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 Tangier 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 Tangier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.