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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $989 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,565 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,140 in Tembisa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 138% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tembisa is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$8.66 R 144

98.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$33.77 R 563

101.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$4.93 R 82.2

176.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.13 R 35.46

30.52%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.99 R 16.43

184.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.82 R 13.64

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.26 R 37.67

96.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.49 R 41.45

85.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.12 R 18.58

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.00 R 16.72

113.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.64 R 27.27

21.34%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.45 R 40.84

37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$7.47 R 125

153.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$4.63 R 77.1

105.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$6.57 R 109

185.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.60 R 26.59

65.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.52 R 25.40

54.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.55 R 25.81

34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.57 R 26.21

73.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.30 R 21.72

50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.22 R 20.36

48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.09 R 18.19

38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.98 R 16.37

-9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$2.73 R 45.54

148.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$4.26 R 71.0

85.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.39 R 23.18

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.66 R 27.73

44.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.62 R 26.96

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.13 R 18.87

305.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.96 R 16.02

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$3.95 R 65.8

627.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.29 R 21.46

41.09%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$21.5K R 358.8K

82.55%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$23.6K R 392.3K

37.89%

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

$187 €163

$118 R 1,965

58.20%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$35.04 R 584

-36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$40.95 R 682

-11.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$30.54 R 509

88.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$6.74 R 112

59.79%

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

$725 €632

$195 R 3,245

272.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,332 R 72.2K

249.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$50.7 R 844

73.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$32.44 R 540

13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$88.9 R 1,480

16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$78.9 R 1,314

50.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$357 R 5,947

326.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$332 R 5,536

269.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$686 R 11.4K

297.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$680 R 11.3K

191.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$899 R 15.0K

730.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$553 R 9,217

847.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$552 R 9,189

333.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 334% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $175 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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $989 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 334% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $357 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $195 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 $34.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $989 in Tembisa versus $2,359 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 138% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.