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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,042 in Tangier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,591 in Tangier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,140 in Tangier.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 139% more expensive than in Tangier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Tangier is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$5.40 MAD 50.4

240.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$37.72 MAD 352

83.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$7.56 MAD 70.6

86.90%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.32 MAD 21.65

34.91%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$0.88 MAD 8.22

243.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.45 MAD 4.20

335.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$6.29 MAD 58.7

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$5.42 MAD 50.6

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.10 MAD 10.32

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.16 MAD 10.82

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.77 MAD 16.51

-4.52%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$1.94 MAD 18.14

154.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$10.36 MAD 96.7

72.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$7.17 MAD 67.0

34.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$13.89 MAD 130

39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.59 MAD 14.84

103.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.55 MAD 14.48

40.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.76 MAD 7.13

251.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.78 MAD 7.24

255.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.65 MAD 6.04

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$0.73 MAD 6.86

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.51 MAD 4.77

198.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.59 MAD 5.50

55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$4.34 MAD 40.56

64.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$9.46 MAD 88.3

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$4.03 MAD 37.63

-62.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$3.99 MAD 37.28

-30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$0.42 MAD 3.92

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$16.04 MAD 150

68.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.73 MAD 6.85

345.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.93 MAD 8.73

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$9.45 MAD 88.2

269.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.54 MAD 14.35

13.64%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$34.9K MAD 325.9K

5.05%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$30.5K MAD 285.1K

1.34%

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

$188 €162

$76.9 MAD 718

144.12%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$14.04 MAD 131

9.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$41.16 MAD 384

-8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$30.83 MAD 288

85.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$37.61 MAD 351

-55.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$7.67 MAD 71.6

50.98%

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

$1,003 €865

$95.4 MAD 890

951.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$6,349 MAD 59.3K

168.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$37.82 MAD 353

135.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$51.4 MAD 480

-20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$102 MAD 953

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$108 MAD 1,009

13.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$507 MAD 4,733

230.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$331 MAD 3,091

302.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$892 MAD 8,327

191.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$533 MAD 4,972

266.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$1,794 MAD 16.8K

322.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$1,232 MAD 11.5K

335.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$524 MAD 4,897

357.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.67

-13.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tangier: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $507 in Tangier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 358% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Tangier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $230 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 139% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,042 including rent). Tangier is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 358% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $507 in Tangier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $95.4 in Tangier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,042 in Tangier versus $2,495 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 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.