Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makarska Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makarska

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,645 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,536 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,427 in Makarska.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 50% more expensive than in Makarska, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Makarska 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$17.82 €15.51

5.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$79.5 €69.1

-12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$8.15 €7.09

68.96%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.45 €3.00

-10.14%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$4.19 €3.65

-32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.09 €2.69

-39.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.81 €5.05

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$4.59 €4.00

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.16 €1.01

9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.77 €1.54

22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.26 €2.83

-46.01%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$4.99 €4.34

2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$15.95 €13.88

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$10.18 €8.86

-5.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$12.38 €10.77

62.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.96 €1.70

65.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.56 €1.36

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.17 €1.89

19.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.75 €2.39

0.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.35 €2.05

-5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.13 €1.86

-0.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.58 €1.37

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.70 €1.48

-44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$5.69 €4.95

29.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$7.85 €6.83

2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.46 €1.27

5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.52 €1.33

83.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.66 €1.45

87.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$43.07 €37.48

-39.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.82 €3.32

-14.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.32 €1.15

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$19.02 €16.55

80.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.68 €1.46

2.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$27.0K €23.5K

34.64%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.1K €22.7K

16.96%

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

$187 €163

$185 €161

1.35%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$28.09 €24.45

-46.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$44.40 €38.64

-15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$49.78 €43.33

12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$17.04 €14.83

0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$9.18 €7.99

24.29%

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

$997 €867

$432 €376

130.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,074 €6,156

133.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$46.85 €40.78

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$108 €93.7

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$81.1 €70.6

54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$692 €602

146.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$543 €472

136.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$1,235 €1,075

107.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$852 €741

127.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$4,535 €3,947

68.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$3,298 €2,870

56.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.72

-15.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Makarska: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $692 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $79.0 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $304, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Makarska differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,645 including rent). Makarska is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $2,468 in Makarska to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $692 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $432 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,645 in Makarska versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska 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 Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.