Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makassar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makassar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $665 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,003 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,341 in Makassar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 249% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Makassar is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$3.03 Rp 54.3K

482.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$9.36 Rp 167.9K

644.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

372.00%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

55.56%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

332.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.40 Rp 7,137

415.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.61 Rp 64.7K

27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.63 Rp 65.1K

29.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

-24.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

87.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

209.37%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

144.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.37 Rp 96.4K

241.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

247.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$4.26 Rp 76.4K

349.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.59 Rp 28.5K

49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.83 Rp 32.7K

13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

75.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

56.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.45 Rp 7,996

228.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.47 Rp 8,467

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

182.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$22.33 Rp 400.6K

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

-1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.30 Rp 5,294

903.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$4.56 Rp 81.9K

543.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

678.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.29 Rp 5,126

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$3.13 Rp 56.1K

845.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

133.33%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$16.7K Rp 299.7M

126.80%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$18.4K Rp 330.9M

75.55%

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

$189 €165

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

182.89%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$3.59 Rp 64.4K

520.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$32.49 Rp 582.8K

14.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$23.23 Rp 416.7K

149.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$6.09 Rp 109.3K

239.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$3.15 Rp 56.5K

245.08%

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

$706 €618

$106 Rp 1.9M

564.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,103 Rp 73.6M

262.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$29.14 Rp 522.7K

206.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$25.17 Rp 451.6K

45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$83.2 Rp 1.5M

24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$43.19 Rp 774.8K

176.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$214 Rp 3.8M

636.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$168 Rp 3.0M

638.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$425 Rp 7.6M

537.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$338 Rp 6.1M

502.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,355 Rp 24.3M

455.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$545 Rp 9.8M

860.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$209 Rp 3.7M

1032.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Makassar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $214 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1032% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $188 per month, with Makassar 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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Makassar differ by about 249% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $665 including rent). Makassar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1032% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $214 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $106 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $665 in Makassar versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar 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 Makassar 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 Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.