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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $526 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $809 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,092 in Machakos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 371% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Machakos is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$3.07 KES 397

510.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$19.14 KES 2,476

262.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$6.36 KES 823

116.51%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.96 KES 254

58.16%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.60 KES 77.3

371.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.53 KES 69.0

254.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.13 KES 276

86.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.74 KES 355

65.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.38 KES 48.67

234.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.47 KES 61.1

359.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.73 KES 94.8

141.10%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.38 KES 178

271.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$10.68 KES 1,383

67.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.50 KES 841

48.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$4.68 KES 606

330.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.57 KES 204

107.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.81 KES 104

175.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.38 KES 48.89

584.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.37 KES 48.05

645.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.80 KES 104

176.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.78 KES 101

171.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.69 KES 89.0

124.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.38 KES 48.70

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.39 KES 439

116.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.68 KES 1,512

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.95 KES 253

-21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.83 KES 366

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.79 KES 102

313.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.79 KES 102

87.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$2.86 KES 370

1098.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.43 KES 186

20.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

65.95%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.5K KES 2.6M

49.24%

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

$187 €163

$62.6 KES 8,097

198.99%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$7.54 KES 976

100.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$11.42 KES 1,477

230.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$38.55 KES 4,988

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$7.71 KES 997

47.99%

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

$997 €868

$46.27 KES 5,988

2053.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$11.4K KES 1.5M

45.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$11.44 KES 1,480

709.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$27.85 KES 3,604

48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$71.0 KES 9,181

56.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$38.84 KES 5,026

222.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$92.3 KES 11.9K

1750.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$70.3 KES 9,094

1729.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$154 KES 20.0K

1562.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$115 KES 14.8K

1594.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$391 KES 50.6K

500.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

14.71

-78.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Machakos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 500% 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 $19.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $162 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 371% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $526 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 500% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $46.27 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 $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $526 in Machakos versus $2,476 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 371% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.