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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,741 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,405 in Midlands.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.67 MUR 314

156.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$44.23 MUR 2,083

56.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.20 MUR 339

91.39%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.54 MUR 119

8.66%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.95 MUR 44.91

193.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.59 MUR 27.91

237.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.23 MUR 105

95.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.32 MUR 156

42.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.68 MUR 79.2

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 MUR 33.50

188.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.32 MUR 62.1

50.76%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.35 MUR 111

44.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.71 MUR 551

60.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.11 MUR 288

53.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.51 MUR 589

52.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.99 MUR 93.6

35.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.01 MUR 94.7

16.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.51 MUR 71.1

40.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.71 MUR 128

5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.99 MUR 46.48

98.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.93 MUR 43.70

93.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.79 MUR 37.14

83.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.81 MUR 38.22

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.50 MUR 306

4.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.25 MUR 389

-4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 MUR 81.0

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.21 MUR 104

7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.01 MUR 47.34

189.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.49 MUR 211

-0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.75 MUR 129

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$20.01 MUR 942

47.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.40 MUR 66.0

30.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

8.78%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

13.78%

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

$189 €163

$49.38 MUR 2,325

283.21%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.03 MUR 849

26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$33.05 MUR 1,556

13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$37.69 MUR 1,775

53.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.89 MUR 277

83.70%

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

$728 €628

$155 MUR 7,285

370.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,035 MUR 190.0K

266.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$86.4 MUR 4,069

2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$79.5 MUR 3,745

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$130 MUR 6,128

-21.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$95.5 MUR 4,495

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$515 MUR 24.3K

204.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$358 MUR 16.9K

240.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$930 MUR 43.8K

200.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$717 MUR 33.8K

175.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Midlands: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $515 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 $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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,078 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,617 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $515 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $155 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 $1,078 in Midlands versus $2,337 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.