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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,253 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,705 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,156 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 87% more expensive than Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cayo Coco is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.85 CUP 116

263.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$14.79 CUP 355

364.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.88 CUP 165

99.85%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$0.99 CUP 23.69

178.79%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.96 CUP 46.97

41.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.99 CUP 23.66

107.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.03 CUP 48.77

127.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.95 CUP 70.8

55.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$3.05 CUP 73.1

-58.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.03 CUP 24.67

104.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.05 CUP 49.31

-3.90%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.57 CUP 85.7

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.15 CUP 148

206.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.93 CUP 118

91.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.88 CUP 237

92.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.98 CUP 120

-45.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.97 CUP 23.31

144.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.98 CUP 23.44

112.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.01 CUP 24.35

173.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.02 CUP 24.37

93.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$3.02 CUP 72.5

-40.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.97 CUP 23.37

55.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.97 CUP 23.32

-7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.93 CUP 70.2

130.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.08 CUP 242

-25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.95 CUP 46.77

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.05 CUP 49.22

17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$19.77 CUP 474

43.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.02 CUP 24.36

334.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.02 CUP 24.38

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$19.66 CUP 472

49.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.98 CUP 23.44

92.86%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

-44.72%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

-59.94%

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

$189 €161

$40.48 CUP 972

365.88%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$40.55 CUP 973

-45.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$219 CUP 5,256

-83.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$40.38 CUP 969

43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$10.07 CUP 242

108.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$1.02 CUP 24.43

983.33%

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

$726 €622

$91.5 CUP 2,196

694.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$15.3K CUP 366.0K

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$39.50 CUP 948

123.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.22 CUP 725

22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$74.5 CUP 1,789

37.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$80.8 CUP 1,939

47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$396 CUP 9,499

285.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$425 CUP 10.2K

186.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,044 CUP 25.1K

167.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$617 CUP 14.8K

228.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$296 CUP 7,114

2293.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$352 CUP 8,454

1276.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$20.16 CUP 484

11825.25%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $396 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 11825% 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 $320 vs $234 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 87% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,253 including rent). Cayo Coco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 11825% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $396 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $91.5 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Cayo Coco versus $2,341 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 87% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.