Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Volta Redonda Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Volta Redonda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $768 in Volta Redonda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,230 in Volta Redonda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,692 in Volta Redonda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 225% more expensive than in Volta Redonda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Volta Redonda is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.81 R$14.34

554.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$38.73 R$198

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$6.41 R$32.70

120.44%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.53 R$12.91

23.72%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.30 R$6.64

132.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.55 R$2.82

256.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.37 R$12.11

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.14 R$21.10

14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.98 R$5.02

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.82 R$9.26

18.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.15 R$5.85

46.96%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.36 R$12.04

108.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$6.89 R$35.13

159.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.18 R$16.22

202.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.48 R$48.36

104.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.11 R$10.75

53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.15 R$5.86

89.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.00 R$5.09

167.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.87 R$9.53

48.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.45 R$7.38

52.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.24 R$6.34

76.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.59 R$3.02

157.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.46 R$2.36

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.56 R$7.98

356.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.45 R$43.07

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.06 R$5.39

41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.69 R$8.59

64.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.87 R$4.46

262.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$34.77 R$177

-22.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.56 R$7.97

108.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.97 R$4.96

54.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$9.99 R$50.9

249.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.19 R$6.09

47.06%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$23.3K R$119.1K

57.01%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$32.9K R$167.8K

-5.96%

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

$188 €161

$93.2 R$476

101.23%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$10.82 R$55.2

42.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$21.55 R$110

75.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$29.50 R$150

93.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.15 R$36.46

61.96%

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

$1,003 €862

$143 R$730

600.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$2,917 R$14.9K

483.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$44.87 R$229

98.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$37.95 R$194

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$48.38 R$247

127.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$83.3 R$425

47.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$271 R$1,384

516.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$190 R$969

600.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$572 R$2,916

353.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$360 R$1,836

441.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$810 R$4,131

834.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$662 R$3,376

711.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$292 R$1,487

723.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

12.04

-73.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Volta Redonda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $271 in Volta Redonda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 724% 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 $39.00 in Volta Redonda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $178 per month, with Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Volta Redonda differ by about 225% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $768 including rent). Volta Redonda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 724% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $271 in Volta Redonda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $143 in Volta Redonda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Volta Redonda versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volta Redonda but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 225% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.