Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acosta and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Acosta: $1,712 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,712

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,712 in Acosta versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Acosta $1,712
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Acosta versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Acosta $2,673
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,633 in Acosta versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Acosta $3,633
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Acosta costs roughly 30% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Acosta 26% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.26 ₡5,531

$17.59 €15.80

-30.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 ₡25.8K

$67.5 €60.6

-15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 ₡5,325

$13.53 €12.15

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$4.16 ₡1,875

$3.19 €2.87

30.41%

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

$2.64 ₡1,193

$2.91 €2.62

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡838

$1.89 €1.70

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,521

$4.01 €3.60

-15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,029

$4.53 €4.07

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 ₡1,083

$1.31 €1.17

83.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 ₡1,283

$2.02 €1.81

40.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,208

$1.85 €1.66

44.86%

Eggs

$3.16 ₡1,428

$4.83 €4.34

-34.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 ₡5,226

$16.74 €15.03

-30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 ₡5,117

$9.12 €8.19

24.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 ₡6,677

$19.64 €17.64

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,107

$2.98 €2.68

56.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₡790

$2.02 €1.81

-13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,701

$2.70 €2.43

39.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 ₡1,756

$2.80 €2.52

38.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ₡1,450

$2.09 €1.87

53.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,208

$2.07 €1.86

29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡474

$1.46 €1.31

-28.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₡1,362

$0.94 €0.84

221.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 ₡2,484

$6.87 €6.17

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 ₡8,105

$7.89 €7.08

127.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₡1,053

$1.41 €1.26

65.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,264

$2.54 €2.28

10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡580

$3.14 €2.82

-58.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,123

$2.99 €2.69

-16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 ₡618

$1.49 €1.34

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 ₡4,448

$33.37 €29.98

-70.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.80 €1.61

-10.00%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$33.2K €29.8K

12.53%

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

$42.0K ₡19.0M

$31.7K €28.5K

32.65%

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

$100 ₡45.2K

$180 €162

-44.45%

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

$30.43 ₡13.7K

$13.84 €12.43

119.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 ₡23.7K

$33.70 €30.27

56.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ₡26.5K

$51.5 €46.27

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ₡3,374

$10.99 €9.88

-31.94%

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

$778 ₡350.9K

$917 €823

-15.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.8M

$16.5K €14.8K

4.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 ₡29.1K

$87.0 €78.2

-26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 ₡28.7K

$38.51 €34.59

65.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₡61.1K

$106 €95.1

27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ₡66.8K

$120 €108

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₡408.5K

$1,699 €1,527

-46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡288.8K

$1,355 €1,217

-52.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 ₡975.1K

$2,603 €2,338

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 ₡545.9K

$2,062 €1,853

-41.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,959 ₡883.9K

$6,915 €6,211

-71.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,479 ₡667.4K

$2,211 €1,986

-33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.28

162.80%

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

Last update for Acosta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Acosta

$640 37.4%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 112% $715

Groceries & Markets

Acosta

$389 22.7%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 17.2% $67

Eating Out

Acosta

$227 13.3%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 17.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Acosta

$185 10.8%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 14.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acosta

$183 10.7%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 24.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Acosta

$74 4.3%

Barcelona

$74 3% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Acosta

$14 * 0.9%

Barcelona

$48 2% 235% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Acosta and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Acosta vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Acosta

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

7 h ahead of Acosta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,072

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Acosta Barcelona 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Acosta
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

Acosta vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acosta and Barcelona differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,712 vs $2,453 including rent). Acosta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Acosta. 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: $905 in Acosta versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,712 per month in Acosta versus $2,453 in Barcelona – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Acosta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Acosta 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.

It comes down to priorities – Acosta wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.