Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tema Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $757 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,192 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,627 in Tema.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than in Tema, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tema is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.16 GHS 82.2

161.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$28.16 GHS 323

146.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.35 GHS 61.4

-42.06%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.86 GHS 9.84

229.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.30 GHS 3.49

526.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.30 GHS 37.92

20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.62 GHS 30.08

72.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.25 GHS 37.28

-60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.63 GHS 18.75

32.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.10 GHS 24.07

-16.19%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.28 GHS 26.18

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$4.46 GHS 51.2

300.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.18 GHS 36.53

203.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$3.41 GHS 39.14

490.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.64 GHS 30.32

23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.24 GHS 25.76

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.19 GHS 25.18

18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.57 GHS 41.02

-22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$3.56 GHS 40.89

-37.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.91 GHS 33.44

-27.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.46 GHS 5.26

236.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.72 GHS 8.22

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.28 GHS 14.75

473.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.84 GHS 101

-8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.14 GHS 24.52

-28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.99 GHS 34.33

-6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.75 GHS 20.13

77.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$42.05 GHS 483

-38.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.19 GHS 25.19

49.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.46 GHS 5.26

221.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.15 GHS 13.20

50.43%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

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

$30.5K €26.6K

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

$187 €163

$77.3 GHS 887

142.02%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$15.28 GHS 175

-0.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$84.0 GHS 964

-55.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$24.06 GHS 276

132.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.89 GHS 102

28.35%

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

$997 €869

$177 GHS 2,031

463.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,608 GHS 29.9K

533.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$13.20 GHS 152

601.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$15.86 GHS 182

159.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$44.09 GHS 506

152.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$32.67 GHS 375

282.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$130 GHS 1,493

1212.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$72.8 GHS 836

1666.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$428 GHS 4,917

498.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$218 GHS 2,501

791.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$9,958 GHS 114.3K

-23.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$5,932 GHS 68.1K

-12.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$430 GHS 4,935

446.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-90.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tema: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $130 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 446% 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 $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $220 per month, with Tema 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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tema differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $757 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 446% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $130 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $177 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $757 in Tema versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tema 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 Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.