Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartago Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,674 in Cartago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,346 in Cartago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,018 in Cartago.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cartago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Cartago 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$8.96 ₡3,983

109.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$35.29 ₡15.7K

96.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.07 ₡4,474

36.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.52 ₡2,008

-31.42%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.23 ₡993

26.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.44 ₡640

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.18 ₡970

82.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.24 ₡1,884

6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.45 ₡1,090

-48.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.38 ₡1,059

-9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.53 ₡1,122

-30.43%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.52 ₡1,566

45.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.83 ₡3,926

102.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.37 ₡4,611

-6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.92 ₡6,185

44.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$5.08 ₡2,257

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.30 ₡576

71.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$4.54 ₡2,018

-42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.08 ₡1,370

-10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.28 ₡1,016

-3.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.24 ₡995

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.10 ₡489

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.25 ₡1,002

-57.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$5.95 ₡2,643

23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$15.50 ₡6,888

-48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.80 ₡1,244

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.97 ₡878

41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.29 ₡574

141.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$76.5 ₡34.0K

-66.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.34 ₡597

144.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.58 ₡701

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.01 ₡4,005

280.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.50 ₡668

15.33%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.9K ₡9.7M

66.33%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.9K ₡15.5M

-12.39%

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

$187 €163

$54.2 ₡24.1K

245.04%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$36.97 ₡16.4K

-59.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$62.3 ₡27.7K

-39.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$74.1 ₡32.9K

-24.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$77.4 ₡34.4K

-77.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.08 ₡3,146

61.16%

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

$997 €869

$559 ₡248.6K

78.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,916 ₡3.5M

108.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$73.0 ₡32.5K

26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$55.9 ₡24.8K

-26.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$124 ₡55.1K

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$89.3 ₡39.7K

40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$874 ₡388.3K

95.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$718 ₡319.1K

79.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,873 ₡832.7K

36.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$733 ₡325.8K

164.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,335 ₡593.3K

75.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.78

-64.01%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cartago: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $874 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Cartago. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $351, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cartago differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,674 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $874 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $559 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,674 in Cartago versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago 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 Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.