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: $851 in Nouakchott versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,387 in Nouakchott versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,923 in Nouakchott versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Nouakchott costs roughly 63% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nouakchott is 36% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 MRU 197

$17.66 €15.45

-72.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.95 MRU 995

$69.7 €61.0

-64.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 MRU 254

$14.16 €12.39

-55.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 79.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 98.4

Cappuccino

$2.40 MRU 95.8

$2.80 €2.45

-14.29%

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

$1.83 MRU 72.8

$2.81 €2.46

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MRU 85.3

$2.06 €1.81

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MRU 55.0

$1.23 €1.08

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 MRU 10.72

$2.03 €1.78

-86.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MRU 50.0

$1.98 €1.73

-36.87%

Eggs

$2.20 MRU 87.7

$3.49 €3.05

-36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 MRU 323

$18.33 €16.04

-55.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 MRU 224

$9.83 €8.60

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 MRU 293

$19.13 €16.73

-61.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 MRU 90.7

$2.73 €2.38

-16.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MRU 72.8

$2.38 €2.09

-23.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MRU 58.1

$2.08 €1.82

-29.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 MRU 38.57

$2.75 €2.41

-64.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MRU 32.10

$1.96 €1.72

-59.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MRU 33.72

$1.79 €1.57

-52.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MRU 22.51

$1.48 €1.29

-62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 MRU 27.51

$0.91 €0.80

-24.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.20 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 MRU 102

$7.13 €6.24

-64.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MRU 21.14

$3.01 €2.63

-82.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 MRU 716

$29.35 €25.68

-38.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 MRU 33.53

$4.36 €3.82

-80.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MRU 10.45

$2.13 €1.86

-87.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MRU 230

$29.60 €25.90

-80.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MRU 55.5

$1.82 €1.59

-23.63%

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

$7,604 MRU 303.2K

$37.9K €33.1K

-79.93%

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

$9,039 MRU 360.5K

$32.4K €28.3K

-72.08%

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

$144 MRU 5,752

$189 €165

-23.70%

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

$25.38 MRU 1,012

$22.29 €19.50

13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 MRU 2,425

$37.16 €32.51

63.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.0 MRU 3,431

$58.0 €50.8

48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$256 MRU 10.2K

$20.66 €18.08

1137.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MRU 179

$10.87 €9.51

-58.79%

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

$81.4 MRU 3,247

$706 €618

-88.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,925 MRU 236.3K

$14.9K €13.0K

-60.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.58 MRU 821

$89.4 €78.3

-76.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.50 MRU 818

$36.60 €32.02

-43.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 MRU 2,801

$104 €91.0

-32.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.30 MRU 1,408

$119 €104

-70.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 MRU 9,127

$1,579 €1,381

-85.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 MRU 6,549

$1,238 €1,083

-86.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MRU 25.4K

$2,712 €2,373

-76.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MRU 12.7K

$2,039 €1,784

-84.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,610 MRU 263.6K

$7,527 €6,585

-12.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,019 MRU 120.4K

$5,239 €4,584

-42.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 MRU 23.1K

$2,364 €2,068

-75.54%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $229 in Nouakchott and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 309% 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 $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $320 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 173% in total monthly costs ($851 vs $2,320 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 309% 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: $229 in Nouakchott versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $81.4 in Nouakchott versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Nouakchott versus $2,320 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 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.