Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $614 in Sfax versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $998 in Sfax versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,382 in Sfax versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Sfax costs roughly 74% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sfax is 54% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TND 9.58

$17.58 €15.14

-81.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 TND 59.7

$68.4 €58.9

-69.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.42 TND 9.90

$14.06 €12.10

-75.68%

Cappuccino

$0.76 TND 2.18

$2.78 €2.39

-72.66%

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

$0.64 TND 1.86

$2.80 €2.41

-77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TND 0.72

$2.06 €1.78

-87.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 TND 4.51

$4.46 €3.84

-65.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 TND 5.47

$4.61 €3.97

-59.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 TND 1.57

$1.24 €1.07

-56.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.52

$2.03 €1.75

-91.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 TND 4.47

$1.92 €1.65

-19.27%

Eggs

$1.66 TND 4.79

$3.31 €2.85

-49.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 TND 32.74

$18.43 €15.87

-38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 TND 16.24

$9.49 €8.17

-40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 TND 38.95

$19.16 €16.49

-29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 TND 6.41

$2.64 €2.27

-15.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 TND 8.60

$2.45 €2.11

21.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 TND 2.93

$2.12 €1.83

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.02

$2.85 €2.45

-75.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 TND 2.32

$2.04 €1.75

-60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.18

$1.85 €1.59

-59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 TND 1.41

$1.47 €1.27

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.88

$0.84 €0.73

-63.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 TND 10.05

$7.14 €6.15

-51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 TND 19.32

$7.88 €6.79

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 TND 3.20

$1.38 €1.19

-19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 TND 3.19

$2.31 €1.99

-52.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 TND 0.53

$2.98 €2.57

-93.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.29 TND 29.74

$29.26 €25.19

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.86

$4.60 €3.96

-93.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 TND 0.88

$2.07 €1.78

-85.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 TND 21.13

$29.18 €25.12

-74.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.41

$1.84 €1.58

-54.89%

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

$35.1K TND 101.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-10.03%

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

$34.1K TND 98.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

4.43%

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

$46.04 TND 133

$188 €162

-75.49%

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

$9.67 TND 27.96

$22.93 €19.74

-57.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.90 TND 43.05

$36.71 €31.61

-59.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 TND 78.3

$57.4 €49.39

-52.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.31 TND 21.14

$20.70 €17.82

-64.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.51 TND 13.03

$11.19 €9.64

-59.70%

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

$106 TND 307

$721 €621

-85.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,494 TND 7,207

$15.0K €13.0K

-83.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.42 TND 128

$86.2 €74.2

-48.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.53 TND 126

$37.07 €31.92

17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 TND 289

$102 €87.8

-1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 TND 190

$116 €99.8

-43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 TND 542

$1,534 €1,320

-87.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 TND 384

$1,220 €1,051

-89.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 TND 962

$2,696 €2,321

-87.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 TND 718

$2,013 €1,733

-87.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,031 TND 2,980

$7,220 €6,216

-85.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 TND 1,915

$5,189 €4,467

-87.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$322 TND 931

$2,359 €2,031

-86.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.6

3.39

301.18%

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

Last update for Sfax: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sfax and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 632% 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: $21.00 in Sfax vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $318 per month, with Sfax 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

Sfax vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfax and Barcelona differ by about 285% in total monthly costs ($614 vs $2,367 including rent). Sfax is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 632% 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: $187 in Sfax versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $106 in Sfax 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 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $614 in Sfax versus $2,367 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.