Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macerata Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macerata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,478 in Macerata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,335 in Macerata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,193 in Macerata.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 69% more expensive than in Macerata, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Macerata 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$17.89 €15.39

2.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$81.6 €70.2

-15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$11.21 €9.64

26.05%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$1.69 €1.45

85.21%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.87 €2.47

5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.21 €1.04

61.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.13 €4.41

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.82 €4.15

-1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.45 €1.25

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.50 €2.15

-13.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.12 €2.68

-45.83%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.09 €3.52

20.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$19.23 €16.55

-7.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$12.58 €10.83

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$21.12 €18.18

-8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.25 €1.94

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.77 €1.52

23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.34 €2.02

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.27 €1.95

22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.03 €1.74

8.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.78 €1.53

23.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.60 €0.51

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.44 €0.38

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$7.29 €6.27

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$5.79 €4.98

40.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.90 €1.63

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.99 €2.57

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.54 €1.32

104.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$34.20 €29.43

-21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$4.81 €4.14

-32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.78 €1.53

-15.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$20.60 €17.73

69.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.13 €1.83

-17.84%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$34.2K €29.4K

7.23%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$38.3K €32.9K

-19.15%

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

$188 €161

$240 €207

-21.86%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$8.80 €7.57

75.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$31.22 €26.86

21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$55.2 €47.50

3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$28.85 €24.83

-41.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$9.90 €8.52

16.97%

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

$1,003 €863

$792 €681

26.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$8,388 €7,218

102.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$84.8 €73.0

5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$33.76 €29.05

21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$71.8 €61.8

53.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$69.5 €59.8

76.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$511 €440

227.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$383 €330

247.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$854 €734

204.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$637 €548

205.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,229 €1,918

239.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,671 €1,438

221.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,046 €1,760

17.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Macerata: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $511 in Macerata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% 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 $82.0 in Macerata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $339 per month, with Barcelona 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 Macerata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Macerata differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,478 including rent). Macerata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $511 in Macerata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $792 in Macerata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,478 in Macerata versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Macerata but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Macerata 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 Macerata 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 Macerata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.