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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $816 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,252 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,689 in Cuiaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 190% more expensive than Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cuiaba is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.54 R$17.93

396.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$17.96 R$90.9

281.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.08 R$30.77

131.25%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.62 R$8.18

71.60%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.96 R$4.87

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.61 R$3.10

237.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.24 R$6.30

259.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.19 R$11.06

110.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.06 R$5.38

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.51 R$7.65

34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.67 R$8.43

14.97%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.20 R$16.20

3.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.24 R$56.9

63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.45 R$22.49

113.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.13 R$51.3

89.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.16 R$10.90

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.70 R$8.59

44.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.78 R$8.99

19.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.26 R$11.44

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.09 R$10.58

-2.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.59 R$8.06

16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.68 R$3.46

116.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.27 R$6.44

-33.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.08 R$10.50

243.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.17 R$51.4

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.76 R$8.92

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.24 R$11.32

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.88 R$4.46

238.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$38.75 R$196

-24.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.05 R$5.32

338.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.74 R$3.77

179.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$6.22 R$31.49

369.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.00 R$5.06

84.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.0K R$106.4K

85.45%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$27.7K R$140.2K

17.98%

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

$188 €162

$61.3 R$310

206.44%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$18.30 R$92.6

25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$23.56 R$119

55.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$22.56 R$114

154.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.91 R$101

3.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.37 R$22.09

156.06%

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

$721 €621

$248 R$1,256

190.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,108 R$25.8K

194.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$50.6 R$256

70.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$45.86 R$232

-19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$137 R$695

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$62.7 R$317

84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$285 R$1,444

437.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$192 R$973

534.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$564 R$2,854

377.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$316 R$1,599

537.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,279 R$6,469

464.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$800 R$4,047

548.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$426 R$2,155

453.95%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $285 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 454% 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 $18.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $232 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 190% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $816 including rent). Cuiaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 454% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $285 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $248 in Cuiaba. 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 $816 in Cuiaba versus $2,367 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 190% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.