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: $442 in Machakos versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $763 in Machakos versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,085 in Machakos versus $4,638 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 67% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 KES 307

$17.15 €14.86

-86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.19 KES 4,936

$68.1 €58.9

-43.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 KES 857

$13.64 €11.82

-51.39%

Cappuccino

$1.89 KES 244

$2.78 €2.41

-32.01%

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

$0.71 KES 91.6

$2.82 €2.44

-74.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 64.4

$1.96 €1.70

-74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 KES 252

$4.43 €3.84

-55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 KES 342

$4.61 €3.99

-42.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$1.27 €1.10

-67.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 61.6

$2.13 €1.85

-77.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 KES 97.7

$1.99 €1.72

-61.81%

Eggs

$1.37 KES 177

$3.37 €2.92

-59.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 KES 1,475

$18.96 €16.42

-39.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 KES 851

$9.53 €8.26

-30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 KES 604

$18.73 €16.22

-75.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 KES 195

$2.65 €2.29

-43.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.6

$2.35 €2.04

-68.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.17

$2.09 €1.81

-82.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.78

$2.73 €2.37

-86.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.9

$1.96 €1.70

-62.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.81 €1.56

-56.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.0

$1.51 €1.31

-56.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 KES 48.00

$0.89 €0.77

-58.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 KES 403

$6.78 €5.87

-53.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 KES 1,474

$7.92 €6.86

43.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 KES 253

$1.37 €1.19

43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 361

$2.40 €2.08

16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 KES 98.2

$4.58 €3.96

-83.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$2.04 €1.77

-64.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 379

$28.72 €24.87

-89.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 KES 195

$1.82 €1.58

-17.03%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$39.3K €34.0K

-45.70%

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

$19.7K KES 2.5M

$32.5K €28.1K

-39.43%

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

$34.06 KES 4,402

$187 €162

-81.75%

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

$7.77 KES 1,004

$22.29 €19.30

-65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 KES 1,471

$36.37 €31.50

-68.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 KES 778

$10.77 €9.33

-44.10%

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

$47.26 KES 6,109

$725 €628

-93.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,045 KES 1.0M

$15.2K €13.1K

-46.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.59 KES 1,498

$87.9 €76.1

-86.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.79 KES 3,075

$36.81 €31.88

-35.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 KES 8,522

$103 €89.6

-36.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.20 KES 4,937

$119 €103

-67.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.3 KES 11.9K

$1,524 €1,319

-93.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.4 KES 8,838

$1,227 €1,062

-94.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.1K

$2,727 €2,362

-94.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 KES 14.7K

$1,984 €1,718

-94.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 KES 49.1K

$2,393 €2,072

-84.12%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $92.3 in Machakos and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 530% 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: $38.00 in Machakos vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $319 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 433% in total monthly costs ($442 vs $2,359 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 530% 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: $92.3 in Machakos versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $47.26 in Machakos versus $725 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 $38.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $442 in Machakos versus $2,359 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 433% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.