Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
Learn more

Mackay Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Mackay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Mackay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,209 in Mackay.

Barcelona $2,453
Mackay $2,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,489 in Mackay.

Barcelona $3,509
Mackay $3,489

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,769 in Mackay.

Barcelona $4,564
Mackay $4,769

Living in Barcelona is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mackay.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Mackay 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$17.22 A$24.50

2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$75.8 A$108

-10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$12.42 A$17.67

8.94%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$4.30 A$6.12

-25.81%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$3.39 A$4.82

-14.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.74 A$3.89

-31.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$6.97 A$9.91

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$6.87 A$9.77

-34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.90 A$2.71

-31.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.51 A$3.57

-19.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.82 A$4.02

-34.40%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$6.02 A$8.56

-19.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$9.70 A$13.80

72.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$8.53 A$12.13

6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$16.45 A$23.40

19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.69 A$5.25

-19.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.85 A$4.05

-29.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$3.00 A$4.27

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$6.72 A$9.56

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.53 A$3.59

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.56 A$3.64

-19.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$3.24 A$4.61

-54.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$3.11 A$4.43

-69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$44.23 A$62.9

-84.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$8.63 A$12.28

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$5.24 A$7.46

-73.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$6.05 A$8.60

-58.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.42 A$3.44

29.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$68.8 A$97.9

-63.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$5.88 A$8.36

-49.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.06 A$2.93

-27.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$35.28 A$50.2

-5.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.27 A$1.81

41.73%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$27.1K A$38.6K

22.37%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-10.56%

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

$180 €162

$235 A$334

-23.16%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$29.32 A$41.70

-52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$78.9 A$112

-57.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$52.0 A$74.0

-1.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

$21.14 A$30.07

-24.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$16.46 A$23.40

-33.23%

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

$917 €821

$1,860 A$2,645

-50.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$6,747 A$9,596

144.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$71.1 A$101

22.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$50.0 A$71.1

-22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$123 A$175

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$105 A$150

13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$956 A$1,360

77.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$829 A$1,180

63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$1,903 A$2,707

36.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$1,779 A$2,530

15.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$3,115 A$4,430

122.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$1,763 A$2,508

190.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$5,517 A$7,846

-59.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.63

-41.74%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 38.8% $526

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 24.4% $79

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 11.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 50.5% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 0.6% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 15.6% $11

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 95.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $956 in Mackay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mackay pays about 2.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $76 in Mackay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $400 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

20:19 8:19 PM

9 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

80,455

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Mackay 16,190 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Mackay

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,209 in Mackay, so Mackay is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $956 in Mackay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,860 in Mackay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 Mackay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.