Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Contagem and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Contagem versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Contagem $776
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,248 in Contagem versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Contagem $1,248
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,719 in Contagem versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Contagem $1,719
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Contagem costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Contagem is 43% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$17.89 €15.92

-67.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$66.2 €58.9

-54.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$13.69 €12.18

-48.36%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$3.06 €2.72

-44.77%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$3.07 €2.73

-56.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.94 €1.73

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$3.87 €3.44

-67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$4.61 €4.10

-45.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.30 €1.16

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$2.10 €1.87

-12.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.83 €1.62

-26.23%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$4.62 €4.11

-56.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$17.36 €15.44

-44.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$9.28 €8.25

-63.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$19.83 €17.64

-61.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$3.01 €2.68

-37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$2.03 €1.81

-40.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$2.65 €2.36

-63.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$2.87 €2.55

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$2.16 €1.92

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$2.15 €1.91

-55.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$1.47 €1.31

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.88 €0.79

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$6.93 €6.16

-76.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$7.83 €6.96

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.39 €1.24

-32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.63 €2.34

-46.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$2.91 €2.59

-50.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$25.46 €22.64

211.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$3.00 €2.66

-62.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$1.44 €1.28

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$33.20 €29.53

-81.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.86 €1.65

-31.18%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$32.3K €28.8K

-27.53%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$31.7K €28.2K

1.42%

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

$77.6 R$393

$183 €163

-57.56%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$13.61 €12.11

-25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$32.93 €29.29

-41.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$54.7 €48.65

-51.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$16.52 €14.70

44.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$11.23 €9.99

-37.49%

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

$143 R$725

$954 €849

-85.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$16.6K €14.8K

-84.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$86.0 €76.5

-30.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$39.11 €34.78

25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$104 €92.2

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$119 €106

-59.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$1,695 €1,508

-86.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$1,276 €1,135

-87.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$2,576 €2,291

-81.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$1,922 €1,710

-83.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$7,281 €6,477

-72.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$5,010 €4,456

-79.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$2,227 €1,981

-88.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

3.28

225.30%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 84.4% $149

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 730% $1.1K

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 151% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 114% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 54.9% $55

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Barcelona

$47 2% 47.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 88.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Contagem and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 748% 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: $30.00 in Contagem vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $325 per month, with Contagem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

5 h ahead of Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Barcelona 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Contagem vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Contagem and Barcelona differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($776 vs $2,381 including rent). Contagem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 748% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $223 in Contagem versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Contagem versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Contagem versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Contagem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Contagem 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, Contagem 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 Contagem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 207% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.