Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cox's Bazar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cox's Bazar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $296 in Cox's Bazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $512 in Cox's Bazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $728 in Cox's Bazar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 698% more expensive than in Cox's Bazar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cox's Bazar is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.59 ৳197

978.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$12.43 ৳1,536

447.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.02 ৳373

351.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 ৳713

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ৳300

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.66 ৳205

67.47%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.38 ৳47.57

642.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.13 ৳16.07

1407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.73 ৳89.9

73.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.47 ৳58.1

353.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.48 ৳59.8

314.58%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.01 ৳125

233.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.89 ৳1,098

113.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$1.69 ৳209

463.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.03 ৳869

166.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.29 ৳283

15.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.96 ৳119

144.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.62 ৳200

29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.34 ৳42.48

702.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.20 ৳24.42

880.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.38 ৳47.37

376.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.41 ৳50.5

268.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.25 ৳30.83

256.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.74 ৳956

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ৳311

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ৳419

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.89 ৳233

258.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.22 ৳27.21

1222.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$10.19 ৳1,260

181.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.30 ৳37.16

1426.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.36 ৳44.01

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.50 ৳309

1048.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.06 ৳131

71.70%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.6K ৳4.0M

20.73%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.3K ৳4.2M

-5.24%

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

$187 €162

$12.45 ৳1,539

1399.04%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$2.59 ৳320

760.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.58 ৳1,431

214.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$16.15 ৳1,995

256.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.93 ৳1,474

73.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$2.42 ৳299

345.04%

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

$725 €628

$25.10 ৳3,101

2787.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,356 ৳167.6K

1016.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$20.51 ৳2,534

328.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$18.26 ৳2,256

101.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$32.61 ৳4,029

217.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$33.22 ৳4,105

256.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$68.9 ৳8,511

2112.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$41.82 ৳5,168

2833.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$311 ৳38.4K

776.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$98.3 ৳12.1K

1917.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$354 ৳43.7K

2010.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$264 ৳32.6K

1885.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$287 ৳35.4K

734.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.67

-70.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $68.9 in Cox's Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 734% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $12.00 in Cox's Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $106 per month, with Cox's Bazar 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 Cox's Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cox's Bazar differ by about 698% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $296 including rent). Cox's Bazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 734% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $68.9 in Cox's Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $25.10 in Cox's Bazar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $296 in Cox's Bazar versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cox's Bazar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cox's Bazar 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 Cox's Bazar 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 Cox's Bazar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 698% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.