Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 191% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Sao Luis is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$6.40 R$32.63

187.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$38.07 R$194

81.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$6.77 R$34.54

108.71%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.17 R$11.08

44.24%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.23 R$6.28

145.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.67 R$3.40

192.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.92 R$9.77

108.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.32 R$11.85

105.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.06 R$5.42

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.84 R$9.37

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.06 R$5.40

59.43%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.07 R$10.57

138.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$9.82 R$50.1

82.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$4.14 R$21.09

132.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$7.40 R$37.74

161.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.02 R$10.31

60.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.33 R$6.77

63.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.16 R$5.92

130.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.63 R$8.29

69.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.34 R$6.82

64.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.25 R$6.36

75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.85 R$4.32

78.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.69 R$3.52

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.33 R$11.90

205.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.04 R$41.02

1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.24 R$6.34

20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.16 R$11.01

28.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.77 R$3.93

309.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$38.05 R$194

-29.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.93 R$4.75

249.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.90 R$4.61

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.17 R$5.98

49.57%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$23.2K R$118.2K

58.12%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$29.0K R$148.1K

6.55%

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

$188 €161

$93.1 R$475

101.64%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$16.90 R$86.2

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$20.64 R$105

83.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$19.76 R$101

189.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$14.51 R$74.0

15.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.55 R$38.48

53.38%

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

$1,003 €862

$222 R$1,135

350.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$4,659 R$23.8K

265.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$47.59 R$243

87.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$50.4 R$257

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$56.7 R$289

94.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$57.1 R$291

114.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$343 R$1,749

387.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$223 R$1,138

496.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$543 R$2,769

378.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$317 R$1,614

515.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,474 R$7,519

413.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$692 R$3,529

675.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$375 R$1,911

541.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 541% 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 $38.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $190 per month, with Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sao Luis differ by about 191% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $857 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 541% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $343 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $222 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.