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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $442 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $763 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,085 in Machakos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 433% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Machakos is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.37 KES 307

623.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$38.19 KES 4,936

78.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.63 KES 857

105.73%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.89 KES 244

47.09%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.71 KES 91.6

297.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.50 KES 64.4

292.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.95 KES 252

127.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.65 KES 342

73.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.41 KES 52.8

209.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.48 KES 61.6

343.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.76 KES 97.7

161.84%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.37 KES 177

145.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.41 KES 1,475

66.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.59 KES 851

44.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$4.68 KES 604

300.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.51 KES 195

75.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.74 KES 95.6

217.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.37 KES 48.17

464.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.38 KES 48.78

618.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.73 KES 94.9

168.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.79 KES 102

129.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.66 KES 85.0

128.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.37 KES 48.00

140.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.12 KES 403

117.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.40 KES 1,474

-30.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.96 KES 253

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.79 KES 361

-13.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.76 KES 98.2

502.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.73 KES 94.8

179.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.94 KES 379

876.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.51 KES 195

20.53%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

84.15%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$19.7K KES 2.5M

65.09%

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

$187 €162

$34.06 KES 4,402

447.94%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$7.77 KES 1,004

186.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.38 KES 1,471

219.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.02 KES 778

78.90%

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

$725 €628

$47.26 KES 6,109

1433.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,045 KES 1.0M

88.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$11.59 KES 1,498

658.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$23.79 KES 3,075

54.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$65.9 KES 8,522

56.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$38.20 KES 4,937

210.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$92.3 KES 11.9K

1550.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$68.4 KES 8,838

1694.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$156 KES 20.1K

1652.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$114 KES 14.7K

1639.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$380 KES 49.1K

529.71%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Machakos: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 530% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $163 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 433% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $442 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 530% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $47.26 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $442 in Machakos versus $2,359 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 433% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.