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: $526 in Machakos versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $809 in Machakos versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,092 in Machakos versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Machakos costs roughly 79% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machakos is 62% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 KES 397

$18.74 €16.32

-83.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 KES 2,476

$69.5 €60.5

-72.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 KES 823

$13.77 €11.99

-53.81%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$3.10 €2.70

-36.77%

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

$0.60 KES 77.3

$2.83 €2.47

-78.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 69.0

$1.88 €1.64

-71.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 KES 276

$3.98 €3.47

-46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 355

$4.53 €3.95

-39.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.38 KES 48.67

$1.27 €1.11

-70.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.1

$2.16 €1.88

-78.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$1.76 €1.53

-58.52%

Eggs

$1.38 KES 178

$5.13 €4.47

-73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 KES 1,383

$17.88 €15.58

-40.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 KES 841

$9.65 €8.41

-32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 KES 606

$20.15 €17.55

-76.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$3.25 €2.83

-51.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$2.23 €1.94

-63.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.89

$2.60 €2.27

-85.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.05

$2.76 €2.40

-86.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.21 €1.93

-63.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$2.12 €1.85

-63.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$1.55 €1.35

-55.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.70

$0.95 €0.83

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 439

$7.34 €6.40

-53.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 KES 1,512

$8.05 €7.01

45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.54 €1.35

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

$2.79 €2.43

1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 KES 102

$3.27 €2.85

-75.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.48 €1.29

-46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 370

$34.27 €29.86

-91.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.73 €1.51

-17.34%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$36.4K €31.7K

-39.74%

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

$20.5K KES 2.6M

$30.5K €26.6K

-33.00%

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

$62.6 KES 8,097

$187 €163

-66.55%

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

$7.54 KES 976

$15.14 €13.19

-50.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 KES 1,477

$37.69 €32.83

-69.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 KES 4,988

$55.9 €48.73

-31.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 KES 997

$11.41 €9.94

-32.43%

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

$46.27 KES 5,988

$997 €868

-95.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K KES 1.5M

$16.5K €14.4K

-31.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.44 KES 1,480

$92.6 €80.7

-87.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 KES 3,604

$41.22 €35.91

-32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 KES 9,181

$111 €96.9

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.84 KES 5,026

$125 €109

-68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.3 KES 11.9K

$1,707 €1,487

-94.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.3 KES 9,094

$1,286 €1,120

-94.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$2,565 €2,235

-93.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.8K

$1,942 €1,692

-94.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 KES 50.6K

$2,348 €2,046

-83.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

3.16

365.51%

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

Last update for Machakos: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $92.3 in Machakos and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 500% 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: $19.00 in Machakos vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $336 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 371% in total monthly costs ($526 vs $2,476 including rent). Machakos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 500% 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 $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $46.27 in Machakos versus $997 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 $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $526 in Machakos versus $2,476 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 371% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.