Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Midlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Midlands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $613 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,035 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,457 in Midlands.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 304% more expensive than in Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Midlands is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$5.96 MUR 283

214.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$37.62 MUR 1,787

84.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$7.22 MUR 343

90.72%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.63 MUR 125

17.87%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.15 MUR 54.5

146.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.61 MUR 28.97

208.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.68 MUR 127

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.85 MUR 231

-6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.61 MUR 76.4

-21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.74 MUR 35.26

191.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.15 MUR 54.5

53.04%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.58 MUR 122

98.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$5.20 MUR 247

243.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.46 MUR 307

49.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$11.28 MUR 536

78.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.86 MUR 136

13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.70 MUR 128

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.45 MUR 69.0

79.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.95 MUR 140

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.95 MUR 45.33

132.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.01 MUR 47.89

109.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.69 MUR 32.97

124.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.87 MUR 41.18

9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.51 MUR 309

12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.26 MUR 392

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.64 MUR 78.1

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.31 MUR 110

20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.28 MUR 203

-23.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.10 MUR 147

-52.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$20.80 MUR 988

64.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.35 MUR 64.1

28.15%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.8K MUR 1.8M

-1.30%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

-1.30%

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

$187 €163

$45.44 MUR 2,159

311.71%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$10.65 MUR 506

42.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$28.64 MUR 1,360

31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$6.41 MUR 305

78.00%

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

$997 €868

$127 MUR 6,018

686.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,573 MUR 359.7K

118.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$78.8 MUR 3,744

17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$75.6 MUR 3,590

-45.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$120 MUR 5,700

-7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$76.7 MUR 3,645

63.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.67

-52.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Midlands: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $219 per month, with Midlands 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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Midlands differ by about 304% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $613 including rent). Midlands 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 $920 in Midlands 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.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $127 in Midlands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Midlands – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $613 in Midlands versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Midlands but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Midlands 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 Midlands 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 Midlands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 304% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.