Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Dar es Salaam versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,941 in Dar es Salaam versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Dar es Salaam costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dar es Salaam is 35% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 TZS 7,431

$17.08 €14.72

-83.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 TZS 50.1K

$69.2 €59.7

-72.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 TZS 20.0K

$13.78 €11.87

-44.48%

Cappuccino

$2.02 TZS 5,274

$2.76 €2.37

-26.81%

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

$0.35 TZS 922

$2.79 €2.40

-87.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 TZS 628

$1.99 €1.72

-87.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 TZS 2,839

$4.36 €3.76

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 TZS 5,005

$4.74 €4.09

-59.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 TZS 2,672

$1.29 €1.11

-20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 TZS 2,051

$2.05 €1.77

-61.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 TZS 2,826

$1.99 €1.71

-45.73%

Eggs

$2.08 TZS 5,438

$3.39 €2.92

-38.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 TZS 24.3K

$18.81 €16.21

-50.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 TZS 14.8K

$9.36 €8.07

-39.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.28 TZS 11.2K

$19.12 €16.48

-77.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 TZS 6,720

$2.70 €2.32

-4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,749

$2.34 €2.02

-55.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,663

$2.12 €1.83

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,699

$2.85 €2.46

-63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 TZS 2,506

$1.97 €1.70

-51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 TZS 3,926

$1.80 €1.55

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 TZS 2,339

$1.45 €1.25

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 TZS 1,053

$0.86 €0.74

-53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 TZS 5,345

$6.78 €5.84

-69.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 TZS 18.0K

$7.90 €6.81

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 TZS 2,342

$1.39 €1.20

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 TZS 4,309

$2.37 €2.04

-30.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TZS 622

$2.92 €2.52

-91.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.36 TZS 45.3K

$28.69 €24.72

-39.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 TZS 3,843

$4.46 €3.84

-67.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 TZS 3,908

$2.05 €1.77

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 TZS 35.6K

$29.55 €25.46

-53.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,154

$1.82 €1.56

-33.52%

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

$17.0K TZS 44.4M

$38.8K €33.5K

-56.22%

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

$17.5K TZS 45.5M

$33.1K €28.5K

-47.27%

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

$98.3 TZS 256.4K

$189 €163

-48.07%

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

$10.67 TZS 27.8K

$22.80 €19.65

-53.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.44 TZS 84.6K

$37.59 €32.39

-13.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.6 TZS 249.5K

$57.7 €49.75

65.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.90 TZS 12.8K

$20.74 €17.87

-76.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 TZS 12.9K

$10.82 €9.33

-54.44%

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

$255 TZS 664.1K

$728 €628

-65.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K TZS 49.4M

$14.8K €12.7K

28.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.15 TZS 68.2K

$88.6 €76.4

-70.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 TZS 111.2K

$36.85 €31.75

15.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.76 TZS 122.0K

$102 €87.9

-54.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 TZS 216.6K

$116 €100

-28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 TZS 1.5M

$1,569 €1,352

-63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 TZS 669.8K

$1,218 €1,050

-78.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 TZS 3.4M

$2,795 €2,409

-53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 TZS 1.7M

$1,975 €1,702

-66.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,521 TZS 4.0M

$7,754 €6,680

-80.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 TZS 2.9M

$5,176 €4,460

-78.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 TZS 736.2K

$2,343 €2,019

-87.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.67

3.39

480.24%

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Dar es Salaam and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 730% 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: $19.00 in Dar es Salaam vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $319 per month, with Dar es Salaam 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

Dar es Salaam vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar es Salaam and Barcelona differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($877 vs $2,337 including rent). Dar es Salaam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 730% less. 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: $579 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $255 in Dar es Salaam versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $877 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dar es Salaam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dar es Salaam 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, Dar es Salaam 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 Dar es Salaam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.