Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cuiaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cuiaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $822 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,245 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,668 in Cuiaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 182% more expensive than in Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cuiaba is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.54 R$18.01

398.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$17.72 R$90.2

293.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.29 R$32.01

125.12%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.53 R$7.81

83.01%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.93 R$4.74

202.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.62 R$3.15

232.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.23 R$6.26

273.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.14 R$10.91

119.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.02 R$5.19

20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.52 R$7.74

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.73 R$8.80

14.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.23 R$16.47

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.28 R$57.4

62.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.29 R$21.85

129.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.18 R$51.8

87.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.07 R$10.56

31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.77 R$9.03

34.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.75 R$8.91

18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.36 R$12.00

16.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.07 R$10.53

-5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.54 R$7.83

16.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.71 R$3.60

108.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.24 R$6.31

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.17 R$11.03

228.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.92 R$50.5

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.76 R$8.98

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.19 R$11.17

9.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.93 R$4.75

223.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$37.98 R$193

-22.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.06 R$5.40

311.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.72 R$3.67

195.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.34 R$32.28

366.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.06 R$5.39

71.70%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.8K R$106.1K

81.82%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$27.8K R$141.8K

16.28%

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

$189 €166

$61.1 R$311

209.43%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.59 R$94.6

19.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$23.88 R$122

55.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$22.89 R$117

153.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.68 R$100

4.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.56 R$23.22

138.38%

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

$706 €618

$246 R$1,255

186.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,128 R$26.1K

189.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$50.0 R$255

78.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$44.17 R$225

-17.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$136 R$692

-23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$61.9 R$315

92.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$279 R$1,420

465.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$190 R$968

551.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$566 R$2,882

379.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$313 R$1,591

552.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,278 R$6,509

488.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$765 R$3,897

584.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$423 R$2,152

459.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

18.5

-81.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $279 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 459% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $231 per month, with Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cuiaba differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $822 including rent). Cuiaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 459% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $279 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $246 in Cuiaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $822 in Cuiaba versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.