Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangier and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Tangier: $1,006 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tangier
🇲🇦 Morocco
$1,006
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tangier 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 Tangier and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Tangier versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Tangier $1,006
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Tangier versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Tangier $1,521
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,036 in Tangier versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Tangier $2,036
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Tangier costs roughly 58% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tangier is 25% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.07 MAD 49.40
$17.94 €15.96
-71.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.60 MAD 347
$68.1 €60.5
-47.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.16 MAD 69.9
$13.28 €11.81
-46.08%
Cappuccino
$2.20 MAD 21.46
$3.25 €2.89
-32.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 MAD 8.27
$3.01 €2.67
-71.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 MAD 3.83
$1.87 €1.66
-79.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.29 MAD 61.3
$3.85 €3.42
63.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.08 MAD 49.57
$4.48 €3.98
13.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 MAD 9.79
$1.29 €1.15
-22.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.11 MAD 10.83
$2.04 €1.81
-45.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 MAD 16.42
$1.72 €1.53
-2.33%
Eggs
$1.92 MAD 18.68
$4.77 €4.24
-59.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.96 MAD 97.1
$16.77 €14.91
-40.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.83 MAD 66.6
$8.93 €7.94
-23.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.31 MAD 130
$19.88 €17.68
-33.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.57 MAD 15.35
$2.98 €2.65
-47.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 MAD 14.41
$2.03 €1.80
-27.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.75 MAD 7.28
$2.73 €2.43
-72.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.74 MAD 7.26
$2.68 €2.38
-72.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 MAD 6.49
$2.10 €1.87
-68.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.70 MAD 6.80
$2.08 €1.85
-66.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.46 MAD 4.47
$1.45 €1.29
-68.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 MAD 5.81
$0.89 €0.79
-32.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.11 MAD 40.07
$6.94 €6.17
-40.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.25 MAD 90.2
$7.78 €6.92
18.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.76 MAD 36.66
$1.45 €1.29
159.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 MAD 38.20
$2.57 €2.29
52.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 MAD 4.11
$2.99 €2.66
-85.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.60 MAD 152
$25.20 €22.41
-38.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 MAD 7.15
$3.12 €2.77
-76.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 MAD 9.46
$1.44 €1.28
-32.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.02 MAD 88.0
$33.50 €29.80
-73.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MAD 14.83
$1.79 €1.59
-15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K MAD 331.8K
$34.6K €30.8K
-1.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.4K MAD 286.3K
$30.1K €26.7K
-2.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.4 MAD 745
$178 €158
-57.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.29 MAD 130
$13.32 €11.85
-0.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.29 MAD 383
$34.88 €31.02
12.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.40 MAD 287
$53.3 €47.36
-44.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.86 MAD 350
$16.01 €14.24
123.99%
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 MAD 72.1
$11.06 €9.84
-33.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$91.3 MAD 891
$957 €851
-90.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,084 MAD 59.3K
$16.6K €14.7K
-63.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.79 MAD 349
$88.2 €78.4
-59.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.58 MAD 483
$39.49 €35.12
25.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 MAD 970
$103 €91.4
-3.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 MAD 1,010
$121 €108
-14.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$485 MAD 4,731
$1,653 €1,470
-70.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$324 MAD 3,164
$1,302 €1,158
-75.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$874 MAD 8,525
$2,557 €2,275
-65.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$503 MAD 4,908
$1,915 €1,703
-73.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,756 MAD 17.1K
$7,286 €6,480
-75.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,188 MAD 11.6K
$5,080 €4,518
-76.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tangier
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$490 MAD 4,773
$2,281 €2,028
-78.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.28
11.89%

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

Last update for Tangier: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tangier
$324
Barcelona
$1.3K 301% $977
Groceries & Markets
Tangier
$220
Barcelona
$320 45.2% $100
Eating Out
Tangier
$135
Barcelona
$270 100% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Tangier
$130
Barcelona
$158 22% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tangier
$129
Barcelona
$226 75.3% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Tangier
$44
Barcelona
$75 70.6% $31
Getting Around
Tangier
$23
Barcelona
$47 108% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Tangier and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 366% 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: $36.00 in Tangier vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $320 per month, with Tangier cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Tangier
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
14:03 2:03 PM
15:03 3:03 PM
1 h ahead of Tangier
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
947,952
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tangier Barcelona 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tangier
  • 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
Tangier vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tangier and in Barcelona?
Tangier and Barcelona differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($1,006 vs $2,399 including rent). Tangier 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 366% 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 Tangier and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Tangier 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 Tangier and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $91.3 in Tangier 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 45% 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 $1,006 in Tangier versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tangier but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tangier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tangier 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 Tangier or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tangier 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: Tangier or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Tangier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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