Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sfax
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$626
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfax and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sfax and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Sfax versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Sfax $626
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Sfax versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Sfax $983
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,341 in Sfax versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Sfax $1,341
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Sfax costs roughly 74% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sfax is 54% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39 TND 10.14
$17.94 €15.96
-81.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.15 TND 60.3
$68.1 €60.5
-70.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.98 TND 14.92
$13.28 €11.81
-62.50%
Cappuccino
$0.70 TND 2.08
$3.25 €2.89
-78.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 TND 1.89
$3.01 €2.67
-79.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 TND 0.74
$1.87 €1.66
-86.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.62 TND 4.85
$3.85 €3.42
-57.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 TND 5.83
$4.48 €3.98
-56.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.46 TND 1.38
$1.29 €1.15
-64.34%
White Bread (500g)
$0.22 TND 0.66
$2.04 €1.81
-89.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 TND 4.08
$1.72 €1.53
-20.93%
Eggs
$1.55 TND 4.63
$4.77 €4.24
-67.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.52 TND 37.51
$16.77 €14.92
-25.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.52 TND 16.53
$8.93 €7.94
-38.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.83 TND 41.41
$19.88 €17.68
-30.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 TND 5.43
$2.98 €2.65
-39.26%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 TND 9.41
$2.03 €1.80
54.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.05 TND 3.14
$2.73 €2.43
-61.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 TND 2.04
$2.68 €2.38
-74.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 TND 2.42
$2.10 €1.87
-61.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 TND 2.47
$2.08 €1.85
-60.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 TND 1.74
$1.45 €1.29
-60.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 TND 1.04
$0.89 €0.79
-60.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73 TND 11.17
$6.94 €6.17
-46.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.88 TND 20.60
$7.78 €6.92
-11.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$1.45 €1.29
-22.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 TND 3.26
$2.57 €2.29
-57.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 TND 0.53
$2.99 €2.66
-93.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.97 TND 29.87
$25.20 €22.41
-60.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$3.12 €2.77
-89.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 TND 0.94
$1.44 €1.28
-78.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.21 TND 21.59
$33.50 €29.80
-78.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 TND 2.39
$1.79 €1.59
-55.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K TND 108.0K
$34.6K €30.8K
4.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K TND 103.1K
$30.1K €26.7K
14.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.55 TND 133
$178 €158
-74.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.71 TND 29.09
$13.32 €11.85
-27.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.70 TND 44.02
$34.88 €31.03
-57.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.24 TND 81.6
$53.3 €47.37
-48.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.12 TND 21.32
$16.01 €14.24
-55.53%
Cinema Ticket
$4.65 TND 13.91
$11.06 €9.84
-57.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.6 TND 295
$957 €851
-89.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,480 TND 7,427
$16.6K €14.7K
-85.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.87 TND 125
$88.2 €78.4
-52.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.55 TND 106
$39.49 €35.12
-9.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 TND 337
$103 €91.5
9.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.2 TND 201
$121 €108
-44.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$195 TND 584
$1,653 €1,470
-88.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 TND 399
$1,302 €1,158
-89.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$335 TND 1,002
$2,557 €2,275
-86.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$214 TND 641
$1,915 €1,703
-88.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,014 TND 3,037
$7,286 €6,481
-86.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$720 TND 2,156
$5,080 €4,519
-85.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sfax
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$333 TND 996
$2,281 €2,029
-85.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.6
3.28
314.63%

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

Last update for Sfax: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$193
Barcelona
$320 66.1% $127
Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$133
Barcelona
$1.3K 877% $1.2K
Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$116
Barcelona
$158 36.9% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$69
Barcelona
$226 228% $157
Eating Out
Sfax
$66
Barcelona
$270 310% $204
Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$37
Barcelona
$75 106% $39
Getting Around
Sfax
$13
Barcelona
$47 277% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Sfax and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 586% 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 Sfax vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $320 per month, with Sfax cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sfax
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
16:51 4:51 PM
17:51 5:51 PM
1 h ahead of Sfax
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
955,421
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sfax Barcelona 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sfax
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sfax vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sfax and in Barcelona?
Sfax and Barcelona differ by about 284% in total monthly costs ($626 vs $2,399 including rent). Sfax is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 586% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Sfax and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $195 in Sfax versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sfax and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $98.6 in Sfax versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $626 in Sfax versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sfax and Barcelona?
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.
Is Sfax or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sfax 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.
Where should expats move: Sfax or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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