Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,228 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,675 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,121 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cayo Coco is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.13 CUP 123

232.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$14.90 CUP 358

364.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.80 CUP 163

102.65%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.01 CUP 24.31

173.27%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.06 CUP 49.35

35.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.98 CUP 23.43

103.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.06 CUP 49.38

111.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.09 CUP 74.1

53.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.03 CUP 72.8

-57.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.98 CUP 23.46

109.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.97 CUP 47.39

1.02%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.52 CUP 84.5

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$5.83 CUP 140

222.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.94 CUP 119

89.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.17 CUP 244

88.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$5.04 CUP 121

-46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.99 CUP 23.73

136.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.98 CUP 23.63

116.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.97 CUP 23.36

193.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.98 CUP 23.44

101.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$3.08 CUP 74.0

-41.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.99 CUP 23.66

46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.98 CUP 23.56

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.92 CUP 70.1

132.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.82 CUP 236

-19.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.02 CUP 48.40

-31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.98 CUP 47.55

19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$20.31 CUP 487

41.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.02 CUP 24.50

337.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.98 CUP 23.49

109.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$20.25 CUP 486

45.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.98 CUP 23.47

85.71%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$70.5K CUP 1.7M

-44.91%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$78.7K CUP 1.9M

-57.93%

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

$189 €163

$40.79 CUP 979

363.91%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$40.52 CUP 972

-43.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$221 CUP 5,309

-83.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$40.12 CUP 963

43.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$9.96 CUP 239

108.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$1.02 CUP 24.51

960.78%

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

$728 €628

$89.9 CUP 2,156

710.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$14.8K CUP 354.4K

0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$40.31 CUP 968

119.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$30.10 CUP 722

22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$75.5 CUP 1,811

35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$79.0 CUP 1,896

46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$395 CUP 9,478

297.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$424 CUP 10.2K

187.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

166.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$622 CUP 14.9K

217.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$299 CUP 7,165

2497.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$349 CUP 8,364

1385.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$20.17 CUP 484

11517.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-66.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $395 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 11518% 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 $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $233 per month, with Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cayo Coco differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,228 including rent). Cayo Coco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 11518% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $395 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $89.9 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,228 in Cayo Coco versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.