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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $644 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $980 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,317 in Makassar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 285% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Makassar is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$1.65 Rp 29.3K

1035.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$9.03 Rp 159.8K

669.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$3.21 Rp 56.9K

328.97%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.99 Rp 35.3K

55.78%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.50 Rp 8,874

466.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.34 Rp 6,003

452.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.59 Rp 45.8K

53.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.27 Rp 58.0K

38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.62 Rp 28.6K

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.00 Rp 17.7K

116.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

188.52%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

242.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$6.60 Rp 116.8K

170.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.51 Rp 62.1K

174.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$5.28 Rp 93.6K

281.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.39 Rp 24.7K

60.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.94 Rp 34.4K

34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

54.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.14 Rp 20.2K

93.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.60 Rp 28.3K

32.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.40 Rp 7,020

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.69 Rp 47.6K

172.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$22.97 Rp 406.7K

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.84 Rp 32.6K

-16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.30 Rp 40.7K

21.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.27 Rp 4,734

1051.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$4.35 Rp 77.0K

494.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.51 Rp 9,032

541.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 Rp 6,314

311.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.89 Rp 51.2K

1085.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.79 Rp 14.0K

118.99%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$15.7K Rp 277.8M

131.84%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.9K Rp 299.4M

80.61%

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

$187 €163

$90.0 Rp 1.6M

107.87%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$2.61 Rp 46.2K

480.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.25 Rp 447.2K

49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$21.32 Rp 377.5K

162.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$23.06 Rp 408.3K

-25.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.50 Rp 62.0K

226.00%

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

$997 €869

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

950.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,893 Rp 68.9M

324.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$27.74 Rp 491.2K

233.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$24.02 Rp 425.4K

71.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

48.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$40.90 Rp 724.2K

205.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$195 Rp 3.4M

776.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$152 Rp 2.7M

747.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$403 Rp 7.1M

536.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$313 Rp 5.5M

519.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,438 Rp 25.5M

431.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$572 Rp 10.1M

803.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$218 Rp 3.9M

977.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-47.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Makassar: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $195 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 977% 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 $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $199 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 285% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $644 including rent). Makassar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 977% 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 $195 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $94.9 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $644 in Makassar versus $2,476 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 285% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.