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: $443 in Machakos versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Machakos versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,065 in Machakos versus $4,599 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 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 KES 303

$17.08 €14.72

-86.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 KES 4,980

$69.2 €59.7

-44.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 KES 893

$13.78 €11.87

-50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.95 KES 252

$2.76 €2.37

-29.35%

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

$0.69 KES 90.1

$2.79 €2.40

-75.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.7

$1.99 €1.72

-74.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 KES 243

$4.36 €3.76

-56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 359

$4.74 €4.09

-41.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$1.29 €1.11

-68.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$2.05 €1.77

-78.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 KES 97.9

$1.99 €1.71

-61.81%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 176

$3.39 €2.92

-59.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 KES 1,490

$18.81 €16.21

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 KES 878

$9.36 €8.07

-27.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 KES 615

$19.12 €16.48

-75.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 KES 198

$2.70 €2.32

-43.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 KES 96.9

$2.34 €2.02

-67.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.26

$2.12 €1.83

-82.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 49.23

$2.85 €2.46

-86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.97 €1.70

-59.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.80 €1.55

-56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 83.7

$1.45 €1.25

-55.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.81

$0.86 €0.74

-55.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 KES 404

$6.78 €5.84

-54.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 KES 1,498

$7.90 €6.81

46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.39 €1.20

42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.37 €2.04

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$4.46 €3.84

-83.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 KES 103

$2.05 €1.77

-60.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 384

$29.55 €25.46

-89.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.82 €1.56

-17.03%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$38.8K €33.5K

-43.44%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$33.1K €28.5K

-40.64%

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

$34.62 KES 4,489

$189 €163

-81.70%

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

$7.56 KES 980

$22.80 €19.65

-66.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.64 KES 1,510

$37.59 €32.39

-69.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 KES 813

$10.82 €9.33

-42.05%

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

$46.87 KES 6,077

$728 €628

-93.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,961 KES 1.0M

$14.8K €12.7K

-46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.72 KES 1,520

$88.6 €76.4

-86.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.84 KES 3,091

$36.85 €31.75

-35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 KES 8,497

$102 €87.9

-35.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.27 KES 4,962

$116 €100

-67.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.1 KES 12.1K

$1,569 €1,352

-94.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 KES 8,910

$1,218 €1,050

-94.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$2,795 €2,409

-94.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$1,975 €1,702

-94.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 KES 50.9K

$2,343 €2,019

-83.24%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $93.1 in Machakos and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 497% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 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 427% in total monthly costs ($443 vs $2,337 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 497% 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: $93.1 in Machakos versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $46.87 in Machakos versus $728 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $443 in Machakos versus $2,337 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 427% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.