Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duque de Caxias Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duque de Caxias

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $793 in Duque de Caxias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,285 in Duque de Caxias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,777 in Duque de Caxias.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 195% more expensive than Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Duque de Caxias is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$6.15 R$30.55

183.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$30.54 R$152

128.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$6.79 R$33.74

104.86%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$1.89 R$9.40

44.97%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.35 R$6.69

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.82 R$4.10

147.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$1.78 R$8.86

153.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.35 R$11.70

96.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.10 R$5.45

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.45 R$7.21

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.29 R$6.42

54.26%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$1.88 R$9.32

83.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.19 R$40.70

127.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$3.57 R$17.74

163.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$7.58 R$37.68

146.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$2.23 R$11.08

17.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.53 R$7.62

56.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.43 R$7.10

53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.60 R$7.97

75.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.23 R$6.10

65.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.97 R$4.82

92.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.62 R$3.07

133.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.64 R$3.19

43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.76 R$13.70

147.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$8.10 R$40.25

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.23 R$6.12

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.69 R$13.35

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.94 R$4.68

206.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$38.81 R$193

-25.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.93 R$4.63

376.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.66 R$3.27

224.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$7.30 R$36.28

296.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.05 R$5.24

80.95%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$13.4K R$66.8K

182.07%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$17.6K R$87.3K

89.60%

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

$186 €158

$46.21 R$230

301.75%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$15.05 R$74.8

47.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$18.57 R$92.3

96.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$22.17 R$110

163.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$21.46 R$107

-3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$5.31 R$26.40

109.04%

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

$705 €601

$311 R$1,546

126.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,940 R$34.5K

119.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$56.8 R$282

52.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$35.34 R$176

4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$87.1 R$433

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$70.7 R$352

63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$321 R$1,596

378.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$216 R$1,072

475.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$586 R$2,912

365.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$421 R$2,093

377.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,680 R$8,352

325.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,211 R$6,019

299.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$297 R$1,475

733.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.92

-68.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $321 in Duque de Caxias. 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $31 in Duque de Caxias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $181 per month, with Duque de Caxias 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 Duque de Caxias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Duque de Caxias differ by about 195% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $793 including rent). Duque de Caxias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 734% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $321 in Duque de Caxias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $311 in Duque de Caxias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $793 in Duque de Caxias versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duque de Caxias but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Duque de Caxias 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 Duque de Caxias 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 Duque de Caxias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.