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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,075 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,755 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,434 in Midlands.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$6.71 MUR 314

162.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$44.01 MUR 2,057

56.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.20 MUR 337

90.97%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.69 MUR 126

2.60%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.95 MUR 44.28

192.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.60 MUR 28.07

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.24 MUR 105

105.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$3.21 MUR 150

42.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.67 MUR 78.1

-23.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$0.71 MUR 32.96

197.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.27 MUR 59.3

55.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.25 MUR 105

52.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$12.06 MUR 564

56.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$6.22 MUR 291

51.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$12.70 MUR 594

49.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.04 MUR 95.4

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.04 MUR 95.3

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.45 MUR 68.0

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.64 MUR 123

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.99 MUR 46.18

98.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.93 MUR 43.32

92.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.84 MUR 39.28

79.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.81 MUR 37.84

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$6.78 MUR 317

-0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$8.37 MUR 391

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.71 MUR 80.0

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.14 MUR 100

12.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.03 MUR 48.26

194.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$4.37 MUR 204

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.74 MUR 128

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$19.93 MUR 932

47.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.45 MUR 67.9

30.34%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$35.1K MUR 1.6M

10.40%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

12.95%

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

$189 €161

$48.65 MUR 2,275

287.65%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$18.58 MUR 869

19.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$33.46 MUR 1,564

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$37.83 MUR 1,768

53.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$6.01 MUR 281

83.86%

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

$726 €620

$152 MUR 7,111

377.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,933 MUR 183.9K

287.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$85.0 MUR 3,972

3.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$78.3 MUR 3,661

-52.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$133 MUR 6,238

-23.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$93.9 MUR 4,388

27.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$509 MUR 23.8K

199.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$357 MUR 16.7K

241.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$932 MUR 43.6K

199.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$730 MUR 34.1K

177.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Midlands: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $509 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $232 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 118% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,075 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,613 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $509 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $152 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 $44.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,075 in Midlands versus $2,341 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 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.