Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $970 in Benares versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,570 in Benares versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Benares versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Benares costs roughly 59% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Benares is 28% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 MUR 316

$17.58 €15.12

-61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.19 MUR 2,041

$68.4 €58.9

-36.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 MUR 303

$14.06 €12.09

-54.48%

Cappuccino

$2.64 MUR 125

$2.78 €2.39

-5.04%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.64

$2.80 €2.41

-63.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.90

$2.06 €1.78

-72.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MUR 97.5

$4.46 €3.84

-53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MUR 130

$4.61 €3.96

-40.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.9

$1.24 €1.07

22.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.75

$2.03 €1.74

-67.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.9

$1.92 €1.65

-30.73%

Eggs

$2.36 MUR 111

$3.31 €2.85

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 MUR 457

$18.43 €15.85

-47.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 MUR 294

$9.49 €8.16

-34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MUR 495

$19.16 €16.48

-45.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 98.0

$2.64 €2.27

-21.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 94.0

$2.45 €2.11

-18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.5

$2.12 €1.82

-31.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 MUR 124

$2.85 €2.45

-8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.42

$2.04 €1.75

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.88

$1.85 €1.59

-48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.74

$1.47 €1.26

-45.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 27.09

$0.84 €0.73

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 MUR 293

$7.14 €6.14

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 MUR 392

$7.88 €6.78

5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MUR 84.7

$1.38 €1.19

29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.3

$2.31 €1.99

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 49.23

$2.98 €2.56

-65.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MUR 205

$4.60 €3.95

-5.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 MUR 127

$2.07 €1.78

29.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.33 MUR 724

$29.18 €25.10

-47.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 65.8

$1.84 €1.58

-24.46%

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

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

$39.0K €33.6K

-8.94%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$32.7K €28.1K

-11.48%

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

$50.3 MUR 2,376

$188 €162

-73.22%

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

$18.59 MUR 878

$22.93 €19.73

-18.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.34 MUR 1,528

$36.71 €31.58

-11.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.89 MUR 1,790

$57.4 €49.35

-33.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 MUR 287

$11.19 €9.63

-45.67%

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

$151 MUR 7,149

$721 €620

-79.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,885 MUR 183.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

-74.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MUR 2,413

$86.2 €74.2

-40.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 MUR 2,052

$37.07 €31.89

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,946

$102 €87.8

-18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 MUR 3,675

$116 €99.7

-32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MUR 23.8K

$1,534 €1,319

-67.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MUR 16.7K

$1,220 €1,050

-70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MUR 44.0K

$2,696 €2,319

-65.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 MUR 33.9K

$2,013 €1,732

-64.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

3.39

84.37%

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

Last update for Benares: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Benares and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Benares vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $318 per month, with Benares 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

Benares vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benares and Barcelona differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($970 vs $2,367 including rent). Benares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,454 in Benares and $3,550 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $504 in Benares versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Benares versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Benares – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Benares versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benares but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Benares 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, Benares and Barcelona 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 Benares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.