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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $758 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,100 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,443 in Vacoas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$5.91 MUR 279

217.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$32.39 MUR 1,527

114.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.45 MUR 304

113.49%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.68 MUR 126

15.67%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.17 MUR 55.4

141.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.62 MUR 29.09

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.68 MUR 126

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.92 MUR 185

15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.46 MUR 69.0

-13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.69 MUR 32.44

213.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.12 MUR 52.7

57.14%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.23 MUR 105

130.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$2.71 MUR 128

559.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.50 MUR 118

286.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.15 MUR 526

80.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.51 MUR 119

29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.28 MUR 107

-2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.44 MUR 68.1

80.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.98 MUR 141

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.03 MUR 48.42

114.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.02 MUR 48.00

107.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.74 MUR 34.65

109.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.72 MUR 33.99

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.22 MUR 293

18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.31 MUR 297

27.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.44 MUR 68.0

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.39 MUR 112

16.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.29 MUR 60.8

141.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.18 MUR 197

-21.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.24 MUR 152

-54.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$4.31 MUR 203

695.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.32 MUR 62.3

31.06%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

22.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

-3.12%

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

$187 €163

$44.29 MUR 2,087

322.40%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$10.41 MUR 491

45.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$24.75 MUR 1,166

52.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$25.18 MUR 1,187

122.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.46 MUR 257

108.97%

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

$997 €869

$128 MUR 6,033

678.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,694 MUR 362.6K

114.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$32.18 MUR 1,517

187.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.77 MUR 1,827

6.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$63.7 MUR 3,002

74.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$46.98 MUR 2,214

166.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$263 MUR 12.4K

548.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$219 MUR 10.3K

488.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$472 MUR 22.2K

444.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$232 MUR 10.9K

735.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$700 MUR 33.0K

235.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.67

-52.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $263 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 235% 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 $32.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $177 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 227% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $758 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 235% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $263 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $128 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Vacoas versus $2,476 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 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.