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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $836 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,851 in Macaé.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Macaé is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.64 R$28.57

211.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$34.48 R$175

98.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.42 R$32.52

119.00%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.89 R$9.55

47.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.22 R$6.19

129.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.84 R$4.27

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.82 R$9.20

145.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.12 R$10.76

117.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.05 R$5.33

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.64 R$8.31

23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.29 R$6.53

48.84%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.01 R$10.17

64.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.75 R$39.22

137.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.65 R$18.48

160.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$6.31 R$31.97

203.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.43 R$12.30

8.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.23 R$6.25

99.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.15 R$5.84

84.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.38 R$7.01

106.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.11 R$5.61

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.11 R$5.63

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.68 R$3.46

116.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.46 R$2.34

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.99 R$10.08

258.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.03 R$30.56

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.86 R$4.34

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.15 R$5.84

100.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.69 R$3.51

331.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$74.7 R$378

-60.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.11 R$5.64

314.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.69 R$3.51

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$7.77 R$39.34

275.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.07 R$5.40

71.96%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.4K R$93.0K

112.48%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$27.6K R$139.8K

18.45%

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

$188 €162

$59.7 R$302

214.66%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$9.69 R$49.05

136.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.73 R$94.8

96.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$38.82 R$197

47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$27.30 R$138

-24.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.26 R$31.69

78.75%

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

$721 €621

$535 R$2,710

34.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,559 R$33.2K

129.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.28 R$229

90.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.29 R$148

26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.2 R$365

41.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$60.8 R$308

90.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$353 R$1,789

334.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$230 R$1,163

431.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$660 R$3,343

308.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$502 R$2,541

301.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$1,243 R$6,293

480.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$784 R$3,972

561.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$780 R$3,948

202.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.25

-69.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $353 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 203% 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 $34.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $164 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 183% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $836 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 203% 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 $353 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $535 in Macaé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $836 in Macaé versus $2,367 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 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.