Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maceio - Alagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maceio - Alagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $809 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,266 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 208% more expensive than in Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Maceio - Alagoas is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$5.85 R$29.85

214.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$28.52 R$145

142.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.73 R$29.23

146.60%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$1.70 R$8.67

84.12%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.07 R$5.46

182.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.47 R$2.37

317.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.58 R$8.04

153.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.93 R$20.05

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.09 R$5.56

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.92 R$9.80

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.02 R$5.20

65.69%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.88 R$9.60

162.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$9.02 R$46.02

98.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$4.49 R$22.91

114.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$7.24 R$36.93

167.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.76 R$14.07

17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.09 R$5.56

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.30 R$6.63

105.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.26 R$6.41

119.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.37 R$6.96

61.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.28 R$6.52

71.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.57 R$2.90

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.79 R$4.01

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.03 R$10.38

250.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$6.94 R$35.39

17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.49 R$7.60

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.45 R$7.40

91.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.74 R$3.80

325.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.41 R$2.08

692.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.38 R$1.93

294.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.17 R$5.96

49.57%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.2K R$107.9K

73.20%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$29.9K R$152.6K

3.42%

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

$188 €161

$78.1 R$398

140.40%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$15.76 R$80.4

-2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$17.30 R$88.2

118.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$23.73 R$121

140.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.72 R$29.18

102.45%

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

$1,003 €862

$212 R$1,084

371.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,070 R$36.1K

140.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$52.6 R$268

69.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$75.1 R$383

-45.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$93.2 R$475

18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$78.3 R$399

56.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$284 R$1,448

489.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$237 R$1,210

461.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$474 R$2,415

448.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$466 R$2,378

318.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,494 R$7,617

407.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$663 R$3,380

710.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$581 R$2,961

313.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.17

-68.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $284 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 314% 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 Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $187 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maceio - Alagoas differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $809 including rent). Maceio - Alagoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 314% 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 $284 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $212 in Maceio - Alagoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.