Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $861 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,437 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,012 in Macaé.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 190% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Macaé is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$5.32 R$27.11

245.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$29.32 R$150

135.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$6.82 R$34.77

107.18%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$1.65 R$8.41

89.70%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.29 R$6.56

134.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.56 R$2.84

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.15 R$5.85

247.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.78 R$14.15

71.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.94 R$4.78

32.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.51 R$7.71

43.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.31 R$6.68

29.01%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.87 R$9.53

163.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$8.71 R$44.41

105.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.30 R$16.84

191.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.00 R$45.89

114.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.79 R$9.14

81.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.15 R$5.89

89.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.94 R$4.77

184.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.23 R$6.25

125.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.66 R$3.37

234.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.77 R$3.92

184.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.52 R$2.63

192.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.50 R$2.57

84.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.52 R$7.77

368.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.86 R$29.89

38.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.99 R$5.03

51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.23 R$6.30

126.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.50 R$7.66

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$79.1 R$404

-65.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.33 R$6.77

144.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.71 R$3.65

111.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$7.95 R$40.54

338.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.21 R$6.18

44.63%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$20.6K R$105.1K

77.90%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.2K R$153.9K

2.55%

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

$188 €161

$97.1 R$495

93.19%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$9.78 R$49.90

57.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$18.75 R$95.6

101.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$38.63 R$197

48.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$29.33 R$150

-42.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$6.55 R$33.39

76.79%

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

$1,003 €862

$632 R$3,221

58.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$6,807 R$34.7K

149.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$61.9 R$316

44.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$31.21 R$159

30.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$64.1 R$327

71.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$45.46 R$232

169.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$361 R$1,839

363.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$236 R$1,203

464.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$869 R$4,434

198.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$647 R$3,302

201.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,227 R$6,260

516.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$776 R$3,955

592.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$780 R$3,976

208.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.67

-70.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $361 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 208% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $163 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Macaé differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $861 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 208% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $361 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $632 in Macaé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Macaé versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.