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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $737 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,124 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,511 in Vacoas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 221% more expensive than Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.45 MUR 305

172.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$32.98 MUR 1,560

107.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.94 MUR 234

184.62%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.57 MUR 122

8.17%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.96 MUR 45.29

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.56 MUR 26.64

267.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.17 MUR 103

105.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.00 MUR 94.9

130.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.28 MUR 60.4

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.71 MUR 33.75

185.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.29 MUR 60.9

48.84%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.18 MUR 103

51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$2.67 MUR 126

590.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.01 MUR 142

215.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$5.52 MUR 261

247.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.99 MUR 94.0

32.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.03 MUR 96.3

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.44 MUR 68.0

47.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.74 MUR 130

4.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.03 MUR 48.50

98.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.01 MUR 48.01

83.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.79 MUR 37.31

86.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 MUR 33.55

18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.67 MUR 268

25.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.31 MUR 299

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.44 MUR 68.0

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.18 MUR 103

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.01 MUR 47.96

195.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.47 MUR 212

2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.63 MUR 124

-21.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$4.32 MUR 204

575.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.41 MUR 66.9

30.50%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.7K MUR 1.3M

46.35%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

11.91%

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

$188 €162

$49.62 MUR 2,348

278.52%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$10.89 MUR 515

110.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$25.99 MUR 1,230

41.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$26.80 MUR 1,268

114.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.49 MUR 260

103.83%

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

$721 €621

$155 MUR 7,353

363.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,977 MUR 188.2K

278.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$29.28 MUR 1,386

194.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.55 MUR 1,399

25.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$65.7 MUR 3,108

55.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$59.8 MUR 2,830

93.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$266 MUR 12.6K

476.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$238 MUR 11.2K

413.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$506 MUR 23.9K

433.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$320 MUR 15.2K

528.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$700 MUR 33.1K

237.05%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $266 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 237% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 221% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $737 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 237% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $266 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $155 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $737 in Vacoas versus $2,367 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 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.