Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tembisa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tembisa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,021 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,579 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,137 in Tembisa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tembisa is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.68 R 140

96.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$32.97 R 533

110.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.85 R 78.5

184.12%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.09 R 33.77

32.06%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.03 R 16.64

170.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.77 R 12.50

158.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.20 R 35.52

98.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.56 R 41.36

85.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.12 R 18.08

15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.06 R 17.11

93.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.57 R 25.41

26.75%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.39 R 38.72

41.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.86 R 127

139.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.52 R 73.1

107.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$6.53 R 105

192.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.66 R 26.83

62.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.48 R 23.98

58.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.48 R 23.93

43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.62 R 26.26

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.32 R 21.38

49.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.24 R 20.04

45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.09 R 17.55

33.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.93 R 14.97

-7.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.72 R 43.97

149.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.10 R 82.4

54.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.39 R 22.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.65 R 26.66

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.63 R 26.40

79.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.10 R 17.76

305.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.88 R 14.15

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$3.93 R 63.6

651.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.23 R 19.90

47.97%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.7K R 350.2K

79.26%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$23.8K R 384.9K

39.02%

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

$189 €163

$117 R 1,885

62.33%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$34.60 R 559

-34.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$41.91 R 678

-10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$30.76 R 497

87.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.80 R 110

59.12%

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

$728 €628

$196 R 3,175

270.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,308 R 69.6K

242.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$51.1 R 825

73.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$32.45 R 525

13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$87.6 R 1,416

16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$79.9 R 1,291

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$357 R 5,771

339.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$329 R 5,316

270.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$685 R 11.1K

308.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$688 R 11.1K

186.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$968 R 15.6K

701.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$670 R 10.8K

672.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$565 R 9,128

315.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.51

-70.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $33.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $177 per month, with Tembisa 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tembisa differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,021 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 315% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $357 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $196 in Tembisa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,021 in Tembisa versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa 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 Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.