Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Belem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Belem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $783 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,254 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,724 in Belem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 196% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Belem is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.43 R$22.66

298.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$28.89 R$148

141.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$6.26 R$32.02

126.20%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.60 R$8.16

75.00%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.93 R$4.73

202.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.47 R$2.38

338.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.60 R$8.16

187.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.51 R$17.93

33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.15 R$5.90

6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.11 R$10.79

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.25 R$6.36

58.40%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.98 R$10.11

76.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$10.31 R$52.7

77.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$3.95 R$20.18

148.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$6.71 R$34.28

185.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.71 R$8.74

59.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.73 R$8.83

37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.29 R$6.59

61.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.46 R$7.47

88.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.92 R$4.72

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.55 R$2.81

225.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.03 R$5.27

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.35 R$6.88

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.49 R$12.74

186.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$9.88 R$50.5

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.31 R$6.70

5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$4.56 R$23.32

-47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.74 R$3.80

306.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$21.48 R$110

36.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.11 R$5.67

292.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.74 R$3.79

187.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.84 R$45.17

234.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.04 R$5.30

75.00%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$16.1K R$82.3K

135.25%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$29.0K R$148.0K

11.82%

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

$189 €165

$111 R$568

70.10%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$14.53 R$74.3

53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$21.28 R$109

74.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$21.25 R$109

173.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$21.56 R$110

-4.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.21 R$31.76

75.04%

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

$706 €618

$101 R$514

601.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,082 R$15.7K

382.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$32.98 R$169

171.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$28.89 R$148

26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$75.8 R$387

37.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$41.88 R$214

185.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$435 R$2,225

262.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$188 R$962

557.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$800 R$4,091

238.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$466 R$2,382

337.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,951 R$9,972

285.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,369 R$6,995

282.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$409 R$2,090

477.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

12.2

-72.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Belem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $435 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 478% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $207 per month, with Belem 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

Barcelona vs Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Belem differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $783 including rent). Belem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 478% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $435 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $101 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Belem versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Belem 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, Barcelona and Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.