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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $679 in Ilheus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,111 in Ilheus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,542 in Ilheus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 248% more expensive than Ilheus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ilheus is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$3.83 R$19.71

359.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$27.18 R$140

151.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$6.24 R$32.16

125.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.80 R$9.29

54.44%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.09 R$5.60

156.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.63 R$3.23

226.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.85 R$9.54

141.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.78 R$14.31

65.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$0.95 R$4.87

30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.45 R$7.49

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.13 R$5.85

69.91%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.97 R$10.13

68.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$17.04 R$87.8

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.54 R$18.22

168.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$7.00 R$36.07

173.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$2.16 R$11.13

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.31 R$6.73

87.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.20 R$6.18

76.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.44 R$7.41

97.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.14 R$5.85

78.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.10 R$5.68

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.73 R$3.78

101.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.66 R$3.41

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$2.14 R$11.02

233.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$7.51 R$38.70

4.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.22 R$6.27

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.98 R$10.20

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.92 R$4.76

223.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$38.24 R$197

-23.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.06 R$5.47

333.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.76 R$3.92

172.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$6.41 R$33.03

355.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.03 R$5.32

78.64%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$20.8K R$107.3K

87.37%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$27.2K R$140.3K

20.01%

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

$188 €163

$61.3 R$316

206.34%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$13.61 R$70.1

68.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$19.15 R$98.6

91.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$22.78 R$117

151.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$21.49 R$111

-3.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$6.28 R$32.33

78.18%

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

$721 €625

$269 R$1,383

168.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$6,548 R$33.7K

129.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$49.39 R$254

74.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$41.31 R$213

-10.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$75.4 R$388

35.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$63.6 R$328

82.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$164 R$843

836.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$116 R$600

948.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$312 R$1,608

763.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$228 R$1,173

783.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,610 R$8,291

348.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,164 R$5,996

345.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$596 R$3,070

295.84%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $164 in Ilheus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 296% 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 $318 vs $198 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 248% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $679 including rent). Ilheus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 296% 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 $164 in Ilheus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $269 in Ilheus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Ilheus versus $2,367 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 248% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.