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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,709 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,353 in Midlands.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 122% more expensive than in Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.77 MUR 317

153.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$44.86 MUR 2,101

51.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.07 MUR 331

92.93%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.55 MUR 119

9.02%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.96 MUR 45.02

193.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.60 MUR 28.01

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.18 MUR 102

103.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.31 MUR 155

39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.69 MUR 79.1

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.70 MUR 32.93

204.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.28 MUR 60.1

55.47%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.25 MUR 105

49.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.07 MUR 565

57.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.13 MUR 287

55.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.49 MUR 585

49.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.08 MUR 97.2

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.93 MUR 90.4

21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.51 MUR 70.7

38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.64 MUR 123

3.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.02 MUR 48.01

92.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.95 MUR 44.30

90.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.85 MUR 39.64

77.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.75 MUR 35.09

18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.76 MUR 317

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.56 MUR 401

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.79 MUR 83.8

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.23 MUR 104

7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.04 MUR 48.73

179.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$4.51 MUR 211

1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.72 MUR 128

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$19.45 MUR 911

47.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.46 MUR 68.4

24.66%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

11.29%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

14.00%

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

$187 €162

$48.57 MUR 2,275

284.25%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$18.04 MUR 845

23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$33.05 MUR 1,548

10.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.65 MUR 1,763

52.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.88 MUR 276

83.16%

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

$725 €628

$152 MUR 7,110

377.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,018 MUR 188.2K

277.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$83.7 MUR 3,922

4.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$79.8 MUR 3,738

-53.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$131 MUR 6,127

-20.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$96.1 MUR 4,501

23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$519 MUR 24.3K

193.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$347 MUR 16.2K

253.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$955 MUR 44.8K

185.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$721 MUR 33.8K

175.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Midlands: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $519 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $45.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $231 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,065 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,598 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $519 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 $45.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,065 in Midlands versus $2,359 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 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.