Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Machakos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Machakos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $443 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $754 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Machakos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 427% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Machakos is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.34 KES 303

629.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$38.41 KES 4,980

80.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.89 KES 893

100.00%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.95 KES 252

41.54%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.69 KES 90.1

304.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.51 KES 65.7

290.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.88 KES 243

131.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.77 KES 359

71.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.40 KES 52.4

222.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.44 KES 56.9

365.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.76 KES 97.9

161.84%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.36 KES 176

149.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.49 KES 1,490

63.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.77 KES 878

38.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$4.75 KES 615

302.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.53 KES 198

76.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.75 KES 96.9

212.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.37 KES 48.26

472.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.38 KES 49.23

650.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.80 KES 104

146.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.78 KES 101

130.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.65 KES 83.7

123.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.38 KES 48.81

126.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.11 KES 404

118.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$11.55 KES 1,498

-31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.98 KES 257

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.75 KES 356

-13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.73 KES 95.2

510.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.80 KES 103

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.96 KES 384

898.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.51 KES 196

20.53%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

76.79%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

68.45%

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

$189 €163

$34.62 KES 4,489

446.59%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$7.56 KES 980

201.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$11.64 KES 1,510

222.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.27 KES 813

72.57%

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

$728 €628

$46.87 KES 6,077

1454.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$7,961 KES 1.0M

85.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$11.72 KES 1,520

656.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$23.84 KES 3,091

54.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$65.5 KES 8,497

55.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$38.27 KES 4,962

203.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$93.1 KES 12.1K

1584.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$68.7 KES 8,910

1672.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$152 KES 19.7K

1741.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$118 KES 15.3K

1575.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$393 KES 50.9K

496.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

14.84

-77.16%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Machakos: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $93.1 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 497% 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 $38.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $165 per month, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Machakos differ by about 427% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $443 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 497% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $93.1 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $46.87 in Machakos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Machakos – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $443 in Machakos versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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 Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 427% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.