Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vacoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vacoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $724 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,107 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,490 in Vacoas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 220% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Vacoas is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.58 MUR 309

168.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$32.98 MUR 1,549

111.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.98 MUR 234

184.34%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.58 MUR 121

8.53%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.97 MUR 45.61

189.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.60 MUR 28.01

243.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.26 MUR 106

103.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.99 MUR 93.5

135.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.34 MUR 62.8

-8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.66 MUR 30.79

207.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.26 MUR 59.3

57.14%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.10 MUR 98.6

66.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$2.83 MUR 133

547.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.92 MUR 137

236.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$5.44 MUR 255

251.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.99 MUR 93.5

37.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.01 MUR 94.4

18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.45 MUR 68.2

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.72 MUR 128

1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.98 MUR 46.23

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.01 MUR 47.21

77.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.80 MUR 37.62

85.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.75 MUR 35.28

21.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.80 MUR 272

22.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.48 MUR 304

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.46 MUR 68.7

-5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.22 MUR 104

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.94 MUR 44.34

220.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.30 MUR 202

1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.66 MUR 125

-19.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$4.53 MUR 213

553.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.40 MUR 65.8

30.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.9K MUR 1.3M

40.88%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

14.57%

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

$189 €166

$49.42 MUR 2,321

282.50%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$11.04 MUR 519

101.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$25.44 MUR 1,195

46.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.11 MUR 1,226

122.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.46 MUR 256

99.08%

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

$706 €618

$157 MUR 7,377

349.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,037 MUR 189.6K

268.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$29.83 MUR 1,401

199.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$28.57 MUR 1,342

28.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$66.6 MUR 3,130

56.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$59.5 MUR 2,793

100.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$262 MUR 12.3K

503.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$235 MUR 11.0K

426.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$520 MUR 24.4K

421.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$326 MUR 15.3K

526.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$697 MUR 32.7K

239.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.25

-20.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $262 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 239% 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 $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $156 per month, with Vacoas 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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Vacoas differ by about 220% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $724 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% 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 $262 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $157 in Vacoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vacoas – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Vacoas versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas 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 Vacoas 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 Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.