Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Machakos versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $752 in Machakos versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,051 in Machakos versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Machakos costs roughly 81% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machakos is 66% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 KES 303

$17.61 €15.04

-86.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.88 KES 5,024

$68.7 €58.7

-43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 KES 885

$13.75 €11.74

-50.18%

Cappuccino

$1.99 KES 257

$2.76 €2.36

-27.90%

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

$0.74 KES 95.8

$2.78 €2.38

-73.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 65.0

$2.05 €1.75

-75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 KES 247

$4.61 €3.93

-58.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 349

$4.59 €3.92

-41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.38 KES 48.77

$1.28 €1.09

-70.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 KES 57.9

$2.11 €1.80

-78.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.97 €1.68

-58.88%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$3.44 €2.94

-60.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 KES 1,506

$18.83 €16.08

-38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 KES 865

$9.45 €8.07

-29.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 KES 591

$19.01 €16.24

-75.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 KES 198

$2.72 €2.32

-43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$2.37 €2.03

-69.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 KES 52.5

$2.08 €1.77

-80.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.44

$2.76 €2.36

-86.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.97 €1.68

-60.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 KES 97.5

$1.79 €1.53

-58.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.1

$1.51 €1.29

-56.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 52.9

$0.90 €0.77

-54.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 KES 389

$6.76 €5.77

-55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 KES 1,514

$7.55 €6.44

55.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 255

$1.44 €1.23

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 353

$2.41 €2.06

13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 KES 97.2

$4.43 €3.78

-83.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.05 €1.75

-60.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 KES 384

$29.33 €25.05

-89.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 KES 187

$1.89 €1.61

-23.28%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$38.7K €33.1K

-43.35%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$32.4K €27.6K

-37.63%

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

$33.86 KES 4,375

$189 €161

-82.05%

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

$7.93 KES 1,024

$22.21 €18.96

-64.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.71 KES 1,513

$36.82 €31.44

-68.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 KES 782

$11.05 €9.44

-45.25%

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

$45.51 KES 5,881

$726 €620

-93.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,077 KES 1.0M

$15.2K €13.0K

-46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.55 KES 1,493

$88.3 €75.4

-86.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.37 KES 3,149

$36.98 €31.58

-34.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,581

$103 €87.6

-35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.37 KES 4,958

$119 €102

-67.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.4 KES 11.9K

$1,526 €1,304

-93.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.9 KES 9,032

$1,218 €1,040

-94.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$2,794 €2,386

-94.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.8K

$2,027 €1,731

-94.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 KES 50.3K

$2,404 €2,053

-83.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

3.39

337.76%

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

Last update for Machakos: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $92.4 in Machakos and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 518% 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: $39.00 in Machakos vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $320 per month, with Machakos 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

Machakos vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos and Barcelona differ by about 416% in total monthly costs ($453 vs $2,341 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 518% less. 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: $92.4 in Machakos versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $45.51 in Machakos versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Machakos – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Machakos versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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, Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 416% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.