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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $764 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,164 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sao Luis is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.92 R$25.07

258.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$30.38 R$155

129.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.40 R$37.69

91.35%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.06 R$10.48

35.92%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.96 R$4.87

192.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.60 R$3.04

243.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.86 R$9.48

147.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.20 R$16.27

46.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.98 R$4.98

25.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.88 R$9.58

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.99 R$5.03

100.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.87 R$9.50

86.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.40 R$47.86

95.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.78 R$19.25

160.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.37 R$37.53

159.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.94 R$9.89

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.27 R$6.47

87.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.99 R$5.05

110.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.35 R$6.90

103.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.16 R$5.90

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.25 R$6.35

43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.77 R$3.93

92.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.62 R$3.14

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.05 R$10.44

247.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.96 R$40.55

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.15 R$5.87

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.92 R$9.76

24.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.77 R$3.93

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$34.77 R$177

-15.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.93 R$4.71

368.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.49 R$2.49

334.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.29 R$32.05

370.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.98 R$4.98

85.71%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$17.0K R$86.8K

122.32%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.2K R$128.2K

28.56%

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

$189 €166

$82.4 R$420

129.29%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$17.31 R$88.2

28.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$16.28 R$82.9

128.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$18.44 R$93.9

214.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$15.44 R$78.6

33.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.24 R$31.79

74.20%

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

$706 €618

$205 R$1,042

245.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,348 R$22.1K

241.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$44.44 R$226

101.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$46.93 R$239

-22.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$53.7 R$273

93.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$53.7 R$274

122.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$388 R$1,975

306.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$208 R$1,057

496.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$519 R$2,642

422.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$299 R$1,525

580.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,470 R$7,486

411.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$715 R$3,641

632.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$375 R$1,909

530.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.92

-68.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $388 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 530% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $179 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 204% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $764 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 530% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $388 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $205 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Sao Luis versus $2,320 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 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.