Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Nouakchott versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,217 in Nouakchott versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in Nouakchott versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Nouakchott costs roughly 71% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nouakchott is 48% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.45 MRU 98.2

$18.39 €15.87

-86.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.24 MRU 970

$69.2 €59.7

-64.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 MRU 240

$14.13 €12.19

-57.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 MRU 68.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MRU 71.7

Cappuccino

$2.30 MRU 92.2

$3.13 €2.70

-26.52%

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

$1.73 MRU 69.2

$3.02 €2.60

-42.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MRU 85.6

$1.96 €1.69

9.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MRU 62.3

$1.25 €1.08

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 MRU 10.40

$2.16 €1.87

-87.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MRU 53.2

$1.69 €1.45

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 MRU 91.3

$4.93 €4.26

-53.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 MRU 234

$17.88 €15.43

-67.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 MRU 220

$9.61 €8.29

-42.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 MRU 288

$19.34 €16.69

-62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MRU 118

$3.24 €2.79

-8.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MRU 70.9

$2.18 €1.88

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MRU 57.3

$2.67 €2.30

-46.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MRU 35.16

$2.77 €2.39

-68.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MRU 33.43

$2.21 €1.91

-62.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 MRU 34.80

$2.19 €1.89

-60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MRU 30.08

$1.52 €1.31

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MRU 23.22

$0.92 €0.80

-36.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.89 MRU 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MRU 101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MRU 68.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 MRU 97.8

$7.12 €6.14

-65.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MRU 18.43

$3.15 €2.72

-85.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.26 MRU 891

$26.99 €23.29

-17.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 MRU 33.76

$3.25 €2.80

-74.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MRU 15.67

$1.50 €1.30

-74.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 MRU 143

$34.89 €30.11

-89.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MRU 59.3

$1.75 €1.51

-15.43%

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

$7,545 MRU 302.1K

$36.7K €31.6K

-79.42%

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

$9,157 MRU 366.6K

$30.9K €26.7K

-70.40%

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

$130 MRU 5,214

$188 €162

-30.60%

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

$21.79 MRU 873

$15.44 €13.32

41.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 MRU 2,389

$37.80 €32.61

57.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.18 MRU 1,208

$57.2 €49.34

-47.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$253 MRU 10.1K

$16.80 €14.49

1404.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 MRU 160

$11.58 €9.99

-65.54%

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

$446 MRU 17.9K

$1,003 €865

-55.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,441 MRU 297.9K

$17.0K €14.7K

-56.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.17 MRU 888

$89.2 €77.0

-75.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.53 MRU 902

$40.87 €35.27

-44.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 MRU 2,711

$110 €94.9

-38.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 MRU 1,667

$123 €106

-66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 MRU 8,675

$1,673 €1,444

-87.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MRU 6,103

$1,331 €1,149

-88.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 MRU 29.5K

$2,596 €2,240

-71.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MRU 11.5K

$1,950 €1,683

-85.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 MRU 263.4K

$7,573 €6,535

-13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,977 MRU 119.2K

$5,370 €4,634

-44.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$560 MRU 22.4K

$2,402 €2,073

-76.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

532.91%

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

Last update for Nouakchott: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Nouakchott and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 329% 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: $24.00 in Nouakchott vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $332 per month, with Nouakchott 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

Nouakchott vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nouakchott and Barcelona differ by about 250% in total monthly costs ($714 vs $2,495 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 329% 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: $217 in Nouakchott versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $446 in Nouakchott versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $714 in Nouakchott versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nouakchott but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nouakchott 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, Nouakchott 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 Nouakchott gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.