Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Timbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Timbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $674 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,110 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,546 in Timbo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than Timbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Timbo is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.62 R$23.06

281.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$32.62 R$163

110.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.67 R$18.31

274.66%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.82 R$9.09

51.65%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.03 R$5.14

169.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.61 R$3.03

236.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.73 R$8.64

166.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.13 R$10.60

115.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.83 R$4.12

54.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.31 R$6.55

61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.77 R$3.85

155.84%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.63 R$8.16

111.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.22 R$36.04

160.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.19 R$15.93

196.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$6.60 R$32.95

188.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.66 R$8.30

63.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.65 R$3.22

264.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.69 R$3.43

201.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.22 R$6.09

126.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.88 R$4.38

123.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.88 R$4.39

103.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.57 R$2.83

164.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.71 R$3.54

26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$1.46 R$7.27

363.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$4.95 R$24.71

52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.95 R$4.76

51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.85 R$9.22

30.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.88 R$4.40

244.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$38.11 R$190

-25.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.10 R$5.48

302.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.71 R$3.53

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.19 R$30.89

373.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.93 R$4.65

103.23%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$18.7K R$93.2K

107.48%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.7K R$123.5K

30.76%

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

$189 €161

$51.1 R$255

269.28%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$11.67 R$58.2

90.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$20.57 R$103

79.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$22.57 R$113

156.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$21.96 R$110

-4.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.24 R$26.15

110.88%

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

$726 €622

$215 R$1,073

237.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,608 R$13.0K

483.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$28.24 R$141

212.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$36.17 R$180

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$53.0 R$264

93.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$45.92 R$229

159.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$314 R$1,567

385.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$216 R$1,076

464.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$580 R$2,892

382.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$434 R$2,167

366.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,683 R$8,396

321.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,184 R$5,906

309.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$693 R$3,456

247.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-69.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Timbo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $314 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 247% 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 $33.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $143 per month, with Timbo 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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Timbo differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $674 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 247% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $314 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $215 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $674 in Timbo versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo 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 Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.