Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,934 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Escazu 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 Escazu and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Escazu versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

Escazu $1,934
Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Escazu versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

Escazu $2,959
Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Escazu versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

Escazu $3,984
Barcelona $4,595

Living in Escazu costs roughly 21% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 ₡5,425

$17.66 €15.79

-31.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$67.5 €60.3

-8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 ₡5,290

$13.61 €12.17

-13.59%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,021

$3.10 €2.77

44.84%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$3.00 €2.68

-11.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡860

$1.93 €1.72

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.84 €3.44

-12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,953

$4.36 €3.90

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,101

$1.25 €1.11

96.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,389

$2.12 €1.90

45.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$1.97 €1.76

26.90%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,551

$4.76 €4.26

-27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ₡4,805

$17.07 €15.26

-37.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,623

$8.96 €8.01

14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 ₡6,360

$20.65 €18.46

-31.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,323

$3.16 €2.83

63.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.97 €1.76

-20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,453

$2.65 €2.37

21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,351

$2.88 €2.58

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$2.06 €1.84

83.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,676

$2.18 €1.95

71.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡447

$1.53 €1.37

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡755

$0.97 €0.87

73.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 ₡2,463

$6.97 €6.23

-21.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₡8,509

$7.89 €7.05

139.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$1.42 €1.27

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,246

$2.69 €2.40

2.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡472

$3.31 €2.96

-68.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₡922

$3.08 €2.76

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡835

$1.48 €1.33

25.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ₡3,638

$32.87 €29.40

-75.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.87 €1.67

-20.86%

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$33.0K €29.5K

-15.21%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$31.9K €28.6K

14.50%

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

$94.5 ₡42.5K

$183 €164

-48.30%

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

$29.94 ₡13.5K

$14.24 €12.73

110.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$34.56 €30.91

69.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 ₡47.3K

$51.4 €45.98

104.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 ₡4,413

$16.38 €14.65

-40.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ₡3,446

$11.06 €9.89

-30.74%

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

$458 ₡206.1K

$944 €844

-51.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$22.3K €19.9K

-22.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.3K

$87.7 €78.4

-18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$38.77 €34.67

41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.4K

$105 €93.5

21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$118 €105

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ₡389.3K

$1,697 €1,517

-48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 ₡381.4K

$1,337 €1,195

-36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 ₡867.3K

$2,692 €2,407

-28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₡675.0K

$2,077 €1,857

-27.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₡631.2K

$7,155 €6,398

-80.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₡436.0K

$5,079 €4,542

-80.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 ₡805.8K

$2,241 €2,004

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.19

170.22%

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

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$848 43.9%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 57.6% $489

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$363 18.8%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 9.7% $35

Eating Out

Escazu

$229 11.9%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 16.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$183 9.5%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 26.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 9.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.2%

Barcelona

$74 3% 39% $47

Getting Around

Escazu

$16 * 0.8%

Barcelona

$49 2% 218% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Escazu and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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: $62 in Escazu vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $328, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

7 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Escazu Barcelona 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,934 in Escazu and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Escazu is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Escazu. 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: $866 in Escazu versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $458 in Escazu versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Escazu – a meal for two runs $62 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Escazu and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Escazu wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.