Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Rojo and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Rojo and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Cabo Rojo versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,918 in Cabo Rojo versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,561 in Cabo Rojo versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Cabo Rojo costs roughly 46% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cabo Rojo is 5% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 $9.85

$17.58 €15.12

-43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 $80.5

$68.4 €58.9

17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 $9.09

$14.06 €12.09

-35.35%

Cappuccino

$3.61 $3.61

$2.78 €2.39

29.86%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$2.80 €2.41

-38.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.06 €1.78

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 $1.47

$4.46 €3.84

-67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.61 €3.96

-24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.24 €1.07

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.03 €1.74

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.92 €1.65

12.50%

Eggs

$2.42 $2.42

$3.31 €2.85

-26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$18.43 €15.85

-51.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$9.49 €8.16

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$19.16 €16.48

-32.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.64 €2.27

119.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.45 €2.11

7.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.12 €1.82

85.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.85 €2.45

43.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.04 €1.75

89.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.85 €1.59

65.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.47 €1.26

102.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.84 €0.73

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$7.14 €6.14

66.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 $15.61

$7.88 €6.78

98.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.38 €1.19

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.31 €1.99

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.07 €1.78

-26.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.02 $15.02

$29.18 €25.10

-48.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.84 €1.58

-57.07%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

-8.74%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$32.7K €28.1K

-17.72%

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

$491 $491

$188 €162

161.42%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$22.93 €19.73

179.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$36.71 €31.58

98.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$11.19 €9.63

7.77%

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

$463 $463

$721 €620

-35.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$15.0K €12.9K

-31.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.67 $45.67

$86.2 €74.2

-47.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$37.07 €31.89

51.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$102 €87.8

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$116 €99.7

-7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 $1,822

$2,696 €2,319

-32.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

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)

$4,202 $4,202

$2,359 €2,029

78.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

3.39

68.44%

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

Last update for Cabo Rojo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cabo Rojo pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Cabo Rojo vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $318 per month, with Barcelona 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

Cabo Rojo vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabo Rojo and Barcelona differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,276 vs $2,367 including rent). Cabo Rojo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cabo Rojo pays 78% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $463 in Cabo Rojo 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 Cabo Rojo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,276 in Cabo Rojo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabo Rojo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cabo Rojo 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, Cabo Rojo 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 Cabo Rojo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.