Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ilheus Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ilheus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $688 in Ilheus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,120 in Ilheus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,552 in Ilheus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 243% more expensive than in Ilheus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ilheus is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €15.08

$3.77 R$19.30

354.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.9

$26.82 R$137

153.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.00

$6.19 R$31.65

120.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.81 R$9.27

53.59%

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

$2.82 €2.48

$1.11 R$5.70

154.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.73

$0.61 R$3.14

221.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.90

$1.78 R$9.13

148.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.05

$2.75 R$14.07

67.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.03 R$5.27

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.88

$1.45 R$7.42

46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$1.19 R$6.09

67.23%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.96

$1.93 R$9.88

74.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.67

$17.08 R$87.4

11.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$3.65 R$18.69

161.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.47

$7.27 R$37.20

157.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.33

$2.08 R$10.66

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.07

$1.29 R$6.61

82.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.84

$1.20 R$6.13

74.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.40

$1.50 R$7.65

82.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.73

$1.15 R$5.89

70.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.06 R$5.44

70.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.33

$0.69 R$3.53

118.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.67 R$3.43

32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.96

$2.10 R$10.72

222.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.96

$7.52 R$38.46

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.21 R$6.18

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.00 R$10.24

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.56

$0.93 R$4.78

212.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €25.20

$37.78 R$193

-24.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$1.11 R$5.66

312.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.79

$0.70 R$3.58

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.25

$6.26 R$32.03

358.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.00 R$5.09

82.00%

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

$39.3K €34.6K

$20.6K R$105.1K

91.32%

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

$32.5K €28.6K

$27.8K R$142.2K

16.83%

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

$187 €164

$61.2 R$313

205.05%

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

$22.29 €19.60

$13.70 R$70.1

62.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.98

$18.62 R$95.3

95.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.6

$22.11 R$113

160.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.23

$21.80 R$112

-4.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.47

$6.42 R$32.86

67.76%

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

$725 €637

$265 R$1,355

173.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.3K

$6,376 R$32.6K

137.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €77.3

$49.83 R$255

76.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.37

$42.09 R$215

-12.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.9

$76.3 R$390

35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$65.5 R$335

80.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,340

$167 R$853

813.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,079

$118 R$604

939.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,398

$301 R$1,540

806.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,744

$227 R$1,162

773.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,567

$1,426 R$7,297

423.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,611

$1,276 R$6,526

311.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,104

$595 R$3,046

301.91%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $167 in Ilheus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 302% 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 $27.00 in Ilheus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $201 per month, with Ilheus 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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ilheus differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $688 including rent). Ilheus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 302% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $167 in Ilheus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $265 in Ilheus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Ilheus versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ilheus but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ilheus 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 Ilheus 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 Ilheus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.