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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $830 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,266 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 180% more expensive than in Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.82 R$24.56

266.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$21.50 R$109

224.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.34 R$27.20

165.17%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.82 R$9.26

53.85%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.03 R$5.27

172.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.43 R$2.17

379.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.41 R$7.19

226.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.56 R$13.05

83.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.06 R$5.40

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.29 R$6.57

57.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.95 R$4.86

108.42%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.24 R$11.39

55.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.83 R$34.75

168.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.43 R$17.46

186.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.28 R$37.05

162.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.45 R$12.46

11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.07 R$5.45

122.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.29 R$6.55

61.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.29 R$6.58

113.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.33 R$6.75

47.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.14 R$5.79

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.58 R$2.94

155.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 R$3.11

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.90 R$9.65

275.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.87 R$34.96

14.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.38 R$7.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.29 R$6.56

85.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.75 R$3.80

301.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$38.89 R$198

-24.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.37 R$1.89

1078.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 R$1.68

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.00 R$30.56

393.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.06 R$5.39

71.70%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$25.2K R$128.4K

50.29%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$30.0K R$152.6K

8.06%

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

$189 €166

$72.8 R$370

159.80%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$17.05 R$86.8

30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$15.60 R$79.4

138.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$22.59 R$115

156.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.49 R$109

-3.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.32 R$27.09

104.32%

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

$706 €618

$236 R$1,202

199.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,767 R$24.3K

211.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$49.21 R$251

81.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$67.7 R$345

-45.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$91.6 R$466

13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$72.0 R$366

65.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$251 R$1,278

529.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$247 R$1,259

400.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$538 R$2,742

403.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$409 R$2,081

398.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,463 R$7,446

414.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$686 R$3,495

663.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$573 R$2,915

312.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.5

-64.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $251 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 313% 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 $21.00 in Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $165 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 180% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $830 including rent). Maceio - Alagoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 313% 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 $251 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $236 in Maceio - Alagoas. 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 $830 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $2,320 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 180% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.