Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benares Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benares

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $987 in Benares.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,599 in Benares.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,212 in Benares.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Benares is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.64 MUR 312

165.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$44.59 MUR 2,095

56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.51 MUR 306

117.51%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.68 MUR 126

4.48%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.01 MUR 47.26

178.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.57 MUR 26.70

261.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.10 MUR 98.5

119.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.78 MUR 130

68.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.49 MUR 70.0

-17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.71 MUR 33.13

185.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.31 MUR 61.7

51.15%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.23 MUR 105

56.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.11 MUR 475

81.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.17 MUR 290

59.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.58 MUR 497

80.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.06 MUR 96.9

32.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.97 MUR 92.8

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.43 MUR 67.3

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.61 MUR 122

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.97 MUR 45.63

102.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.98 MUR 46.17

82.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.83 MUR 39.17

78.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.56 MUR 26.50

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.94 MUR 279

20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.62 MUR 405

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.72 MUR 80.6

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.10 MUR 98.6

13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.01 MUR 47.26

198.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.51 MUR 212

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.72 MUR 128

-21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$15.70 MUR 737

88.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.40 MUR 65.7

30.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$35.2K MUR 1.7M

7.77%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

11.80%

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

$189 €166

$49.88 MUR 2,343

278.97%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.53 MUR 871

20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$32.73 MUR 1,537

13.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.90 MUR 1,780

53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.11 MUR 287

77.91%

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

$706 €618

$155 MUR 7,282

355.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,916 MUR 183.9K

279.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$49.98 MUR 2,348

78.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.45 MUR 2,041

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$84.0 MUR 3,945

23.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$78.3 MUR 3,676

52.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$509 MUR 23.9K

210.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$357 MUR 16.7K

247.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$934 MUR 43.9K

190.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$720 MUR 33.8K

183.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.25

-45.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Benares: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $509 in Benares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $45.00 in Benares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $215 per month, with Benares 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 Benares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Benares differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $987 including rent). Benares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,480 in Benares to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $509 in Benares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $155 in Benares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Benares – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Benares versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benares but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Benares 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 Benares 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 Benares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.