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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,129 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,768 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,406 in Tembisa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Tembisa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$10.52 R 169

75.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$41.92 R 675

65.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.82 R 93.7

141.41%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.37 R 38.18

31.22%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.13 R 18.15

161.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.89 R 14.28

119.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.44 R 39.22

63.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.73 R 44.02

69.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.22 R 19.61

8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.13 R 18.14

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.80 R 29.03

1.67%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.61 R 42.00

97.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.71 R 140

101.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.43 R 87.4

74.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$7.65 R 123

160.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.93 R 31.03

64.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.66 R 26.71

33.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.84 R 29.58

41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.70 R 27.31

67.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.55 R 25.02

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.46 R 23.55

44.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.28 R 20.55

26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.06 R 17.13

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.61 R 58.1

98.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.57 R 89.7

49.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 R 22.89

5.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.78 R 28.68

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.78 R 28.74

76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.60 R 9.63

436.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.95 R 15.22

58.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$8.86 R 143

297.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.51 R 24.25

15.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$39.5K R 635.9K

-7.16%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$34.8K R 560.5K

-9.00%

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

$187 €161

$144 R 2,318

30.01%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$38.59 R 621

-60.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$37.91 R 611

-0.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$32.04 R 516

73.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$7.51 R 121

55.93%

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

$1,011 €871

$257 R 4,138

293.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,205 R 83.8K

227.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$50.5 R 814

80.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$29.46 R 474

39.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$118 R 1,905

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$83.8 R 1,350

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$418 R 6,728

307.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$370 R 5,953

251.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$693 R 11.2K

273.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$771 R 12.4K

150.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$890 R 14.3K

768.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$623 R 10.0K

764.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$582 R 9,370

308.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-71.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $418 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 308% 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 $42.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $200 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,129 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 308% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $418 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $257 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 $42.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,129 in Tembisa versus $2,482 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 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.