Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dili Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dili

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $1,594 in Dili.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $2,475 in Dili.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $3,357 in Dili.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 53% more expensive than in Dili, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Dili 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$5.14 $5.14

265.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$42.27 $42.27

64.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$8.10 $8.10

73.83%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$4.08 $4.08

-23.53%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$2.29 $2.29

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.51 $2.51

59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$4.43 $4.43

4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.69 $2.69

-55.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.86 $2.86

-25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.62 $1.62

13.58%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$2.72 $2.72

88.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$2.06 $2.06

695.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$9.36 $9.36

3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$16.02 $16.02

22.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$3.48 $3.48

-10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.84 $1.84

18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.53 $1.53

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.09 $2.09

32.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.37 $1.37

54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.26 $1.26

76.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.86 $0.86

73.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.98 $0.98

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$3.07 $3.07

136.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$11.93 $11.93

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.22 $2.22

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.86 $2.86

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.24 $0.24

1179.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$30.54 $30.54

-15.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$3.57 $3.57

-6.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$3.60 $3.60

-47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$20.37 $20.37

71.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.45 $1.45

20.00%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$17.7K $17.7K

106.63%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$17.2K $17.2K

82.73%

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

$183 €156

$151 $151

20.90%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$29.90 $29.90

-47.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$49.15 $49.15

8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$5.41 $5.41

112.75%

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

$952 €815

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$15.8K $15.8K

2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$59.9 $59.9

37.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$29.55 $29.55

36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$79.5 $79.5

35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$59.3 $59.3

111.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$863 $863

93.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$770 $770

67.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$2,750 $2,750

-3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$1,527 $1,527

24.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$3,531 $3,531

-30.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.37

-41.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Dili: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $863 in Dili. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dili pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Dili for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $282 per month, with Dili 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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dili differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $1,594 including rent). Dili is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Dili. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $863 in Dili. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dili – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Dili runs roughly 18% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,594 in Dili versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dili but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dili 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 Dili 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 Dili gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.