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: $843 in Nouakchott versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,387 in Nouakchott versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Nouakchott versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Nouakchott costs roughly 64% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nouakchott is 37% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 MRU 198

$17.58 €15.12

-71.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.64 MRU 984

$68.4 €58.9

-64.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 MRU 254

$14.06 €12.09

-54.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 MRU 77.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 98.8

Cappuccino

$2.38 MRU 95.0

$2.78 €2.39

-14.39%

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

$1.76 MRU 70.4

$2.80 €2.41

-37.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 MRU 89.3

$2.06 €1.78

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MRU 55.2

$1.24 €1.07

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.29 MRU 11.64

$2.03 €1.74

-85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MRU 50.1

$1.92 €1.65

-34.90%

Eggs

$2.18 MRU 87.3

$3.31 €2.85

-34.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 MRU 316

$18.43 €15.85

-57.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 MRU 228

$9.49 €8.16

-39.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.97 MRU 278

$19.16 €16.48

-63.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 MRU 87.1

$2.64 €2.27

-17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MRU 72.0

$2.45 €2.11

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MRU 59.0

$2.12 €1.82

-30.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 MRU 38.27

$2.85 €2.45

-66.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MRU 32.06

$2.04 €1.75

-60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MRU 36.14

$1.85 €1.59

-51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 MRU 20.72

$1.47 €1.26

-64.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 MRU 27.89

$0.84 €0.73

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 406

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MRU 100

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 MRU 104

$7.14 €6.14

-63.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MRU 21.18

$2.98 €2.56

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.45 MRU 697

$29.26 €25.17

-40.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MRU 35.89

$4.60 €3.95

-80.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MRU 10.48

$2.07 €1.78

-87.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 MRU 226

$29.18 €25.10

-80.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MRU 57.3

$1.84 €1.58

-22.28%

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

$7,521 MRU 300.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-80.72%

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

$9,149 MRU 365.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

-72.02%

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

$146 MRU 5,841

$188 €162

-22.15%

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

$25.45 MRU 1,017

$22.93 €19.73

10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 MRU 2,452

$36.71 €31.58

67.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 MRU 3,556

$57.4 €49.35

55.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$248 MRU 9,915

$20.70 €17.80

1098.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 MRU 174

$11.19 €9.63

-60.95%

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

$79.8 MRU 3,189

$721 €620

-88.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,985 MRU 239.1K

$15.0K €12.9K

-60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.71 MRU 827

$86.2 €74.2

-75.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.75 MRU 829

$37.07 €31.89

-44.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 MRU 2,766

$102 €87.8

-32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.36 MRU 1,413

$116 €99.7

-69.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 MRU 8,968

$1,534 €1,319

-85.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 MRU 6,488

$1,220 €1,050

-86.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 MRU 24.9K

$2,696 €2,319

-76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 MRU 12.8K

$2,013 €1,732

-84.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,530 MRU 260.9K

$7,220 €6,211

-9.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,008 MRU 120.2K

$5,189 €4,463

-42.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MRU 22.4K

$2,359 €2,029

-76.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.5

3.39

386.73%

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

Last update for Nouakchott: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Nouakchott and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 320% 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: $25.00 in Nouakchott vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $318 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 181% in total monthly costs ($843 vs $2,367 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 320% 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: $224 in Nouakchott versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $79.8 in Nouakchott versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $843 in Nouakchott versus $2,367 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 181% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.