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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $776 in Duque de Caxias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,249 in Duque de Caxias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Duque de Caxias.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 199% more expensive than in Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Duque de Caxias is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$6.40 R$32.38

168.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$30.57 R$155

131.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$6.80 R$34.41

106.18%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.87 R$9.48

48.66%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.32 R$6.69

110.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.85 R$4.30

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$1.78 R$9.01

153.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$2.37 R$12.01

97.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.08 R$5.45

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.45 R$7.35

47.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.25 R$6.32

54.40%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.83 R$9.25

90.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$8.37 R$42.35

121.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$3.70 R$18.74

157.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$7.64 R$38.65

147.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.28 R$11.53

14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.49 R$7.53

57.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.40 R$7.08

48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.51 R$7.66

88.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.24 R$6.26

58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.01 R$5.10

83.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.59 R$2.97

159.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.65 R$3.31

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$2.67 R$13.52

153.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$8.00 R$40.46

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.26 R$6.35

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.59 R$13.12

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.94 R$4.76

219.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$38.50 R$195

-25.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$0.93 R$4.73

392.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.67 R$3.38

217.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$7.07 R$35.76

317.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.06 R$5.34

69.81%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$13.3K R$67.2K

189.57%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$17.5K R$88.4K

90.33%

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

$185 €162

$46.90 R$237

294.18%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$15.02 R$76.0

51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$18.64 R$94.3

97.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$22.76 R$115

153.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$22.01 R$111

-3.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$5.49 R$27.79

97.27%

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

$727 €637

$320 R$1,620

126.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$6,864 R$34.7K

114.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$57.8 R$292

51.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$35.49 R$180

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$84.0 R$425

22.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$71.8 R$363

65.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$311 R$1,574

401.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$218 R$1,101

461.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$586 R$2,964

368.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$427 R$2,160

366.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,290 R$6,527

480.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$564 R$2,853

823.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$293 R$1,481

704.37%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $311 in Duque de Caxias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 704% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Duque de Caxias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 199% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $776 including rent). Duque de Caxias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 704% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $311 in Duque de Caxias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $320 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 $776 in Duque de Caxias versus $2,316 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 199% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.