Cost of Living Comparison Between Ben Arous and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ben Arous and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $700 in Ben Arous versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,113 in Ben Arous versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Ben Arous versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Ben Arous costs roughly 72% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ben Arous is 49% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 TND 15.85

$18.74 €16.33

-70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.21 TND 58.6

$69.5 €60.6

-70.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 TND 15.02

$13.77 €12.00

-62.38%

Cappuccino

$1.15 TND 3.34

$3.10 €2.70

-62.90%

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

$0.63 TND 1.82

$2.83 €2.47

-77.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.75

$1.88 €1.64

-86.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 TND 5.07

$3.98 €3.47

-56.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 TND 5.98

$4.53 €3.95

-54.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 TND 1.50

$1.27 €1.11

-59.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.10 TND 0.29

$2.16 €1.88

-95.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 TND 5.11

$1.76 €1.53

Eggs

$1.47 TND 4.26

$5.13 €4.47

-71.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 TND 31.01

$17.88 €15.59

-40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 TND 17.82

$9.65 €8.41

-36.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 TND 46.90

$20.15 €17.56

-19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 TND 4.92

$3.25 €2.84

-47.69%

Banana (1kg)

$4.67 TND 13.56

$2.23 €1.94

109.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 TND 2.87

$2.60 €2.27

-61.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 TND 2.10

$2.76 €2.40

-73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TND 2.05

$2.21 €1.93

-67.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 TND 1.96

$2.12 €1.85

-67.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 TND 1.43

$1.55 €1.35

-68.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 TND 0.96

$0.95 €0.83

-65.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 TND 10.62

$7.34 €6.40

-50.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 TND 20.18

$8.05 €7.01

-13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 TND 2.77

$1.54 €1.35

-37.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 TND 3.52

$2.79 €2.43

-56.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TND 1.06

$3.11 €2.71

-88.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.53 TND 39.25

$25.86 €22.54

-47.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.86

$3.27 €2.85

-90.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.97

$1.48 €1.29

-77.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 TND 5.26

$34.27 €29.88

-94.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.56

$1.73 €1.51

-49.13%

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

$40.6K TND 117.6K

$36.4K €31.7K

11.51%

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

$23.5K TND 68.3K

$30.5K €26.6K

-22.90%

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

$55.9 TND 162

$187 €163

-70.14%

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

$10.43 TND 30.27

$15.14 €13.20

-31.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.74 TND 60.2

$37.69 €32.85

-44.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.68 TND 97.7

$55.9 €48.76

-39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.05 TND 49.46

$17.08 €14.89

-0.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 TND 14.79

$11.41 €9.95

-55.30%

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

$63.4 TND 184

$997 €869

-93.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,979 TND 5,741

$16.5K €14.4K

-88.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.55 TND 138

$92.6 €80.8

-48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 TND 190

$41.22 €35.93

58.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 TND 258

$111 €96.9

-19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.99 TND 136

$125 €109

-62.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 TND 634

$1,707 €1,488

-87.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 TND 456

$1,286 €1,121

-87.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 TND 1,108

$2,565 €2,236

-85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 TND 804

$1,942 €1,693

-85.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$950 TND 2,754

$7,647 €6,666

-87.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$419 TND 1,215

$5,167 €4,504

-91.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$255 TND 740

$2,348 €2,047

-89.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.28

3.16

225.32%

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

Last update for Ben Arous: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Ben Arous and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 820% 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: $20.00 in Ben Arous vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $336 per month, with Ben Arous 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

Ben Arous vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ben Arous and Barcelona differ by about 254% in total monthly costs ($700 vs $2,476 including rent). Ben Arous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 820% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $218 in Ben Arous versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $63.4 in Ben Arous versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $700 in Ben Arous versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ben Arous but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ben Arous 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, Ben Arous and Barcelona 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 Ben Arous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.