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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $824 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Macaé.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 182% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Macaé is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.70 R$29.02

209.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$33.80 R$172

106.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.42 R$32.67

120.56%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.92 R$9.78

45.83%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.28 R$6.53

119.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.82 R$4.19

151.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.78 R$9.06

158.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.19 R$11.16

114.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.06 R$5.39

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.59 R$8.11

27.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.28 R$6.53

54.69%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.94 R$9.89

79.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.08 R$41.14

126.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.55 R$18.07

176.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$6.37 R$32.45

200.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.30 R$11.71

18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.27 R$6.47

87.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 R$6.03

76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.39 R$7.07

97.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.09 R$5.56

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.16 R$5.93

54.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.67 R$3.41

120.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.47 R$2.39

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.01 R$10.21

254.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.81 R$29.56

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.92 R$4.67

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.14 R$5.81

109.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.75 R$3.83

301.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$73.8 R$376

-60.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.13 R$5.76

285.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.71 R$3.60

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.49 R$38.11

295.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.07 R$5.43

70.09%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$17.8K R$90.5K

113.16%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$27.0K R$137.7K

19.76%

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

$189 €166

$58.4 R$297

223.96%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$10.03 R$51.1

122.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.88 R$96.1

96.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$38.50 R$196

50.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$26.80 R$136

-22.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.17 R$31.41

76.18%

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

$706 €618

$541 R$2,753

30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,587 R$33.5K

125.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$44.81 R$228

99.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.33 R$149

24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$71.6 R$364

45.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$60.8 R$310

96.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$357 R$1,816

342.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$234 R$1,193

428.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$661 R$3,366

310.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$508 R$2,587

301.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,231 R$6,267

511.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$762 R$3,877

587.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$761 R$3,875

210.54%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $357 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 211% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $824 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 211% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $357 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $541 in Macaé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Macaé versus $2,320 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 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.