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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $879 in Tangier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,371 in Tangier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,863 in Tangier.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 164% more expensive than in Tangier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tangier is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$4.41 MAD 41.14

300.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$30.62 MAD 285

127.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$7.24 MAD 67.5

95.58%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.66 MAD 15.49

68.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.66 MAD 6.17

325.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.33 MAD 3.05

524.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.80 MAD 35.45

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.34 MAD 31.12

40.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.01 MAD 9.38

21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.85 MAD 7.94

138.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.69 MAD 15.76

17.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.20 MAD 20.50

58.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$9.76 MAD 91.0

87.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$6.80 MAD 63.4

44.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$12.65 MAD 118

51.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.30 MAD 12.12

110.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.37 MAD 12.73

73.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.77 MAD 7.14

170.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.74 MAD 6.86

271.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.65 MAD 6.03

201.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.72 MAD 6.70

148.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.54 MAD 5.07

174.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.62 MAD 5.76

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$4.26 MAD 39.77

67.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$9.92 MAD 92.5

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$3.29 MAD 30.69

-58.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.27 MAD 30.49

-26.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.43 MAD 4.01

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$16.66 MAD 155

76.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$0.58 MAD 5.38

651.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.48 MAD 4.46

343.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$9.95 MAD 92.8

197.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.52 MAD 14.21

19.74%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$37.3K MAD 347.8K

1.60%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$24.5K MAD 228.3K

32.28%

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

$189 €165

$83.8 MAD 781

125.68%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$11.17 MAD 104

99.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$39.16 MAD 365

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$27.90 MAD 260

107.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$38.31 MAD 357

-46.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$7.18 MAD 66.9

51.39%

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

$706 €617

$97.9 MAD 913

621.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,495 MAD 60.6K

128.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$30.46 MAD 284

193.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$45.53 MAD 425

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$88.9 MAD 829

16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$80.9 MAD 754

47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$445 MAD 4,153

254.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$238 MAD 2,215

421.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$873 MAD 8,142

210.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$441 MAD 4,112

362.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$1,810 MAD 16.9K

315.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$1,264 MAD 11.8K

314.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$510 MAD 4,756

363.46%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tangier: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $445 in Tangier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 363% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Tangier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $213 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 164% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $879 including rent). Tangier is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 363% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $445 in Tangier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $97.9 in Tangier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $879 in Tangier versus $2,320 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 164% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.