Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $641 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Makassar
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$641
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Makassar versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Makassar $641
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $985 in Makassar versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Makassar $985
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,328 in Makassar versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Makassar $1,328
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Makassar costs roughly 73% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makassar is 53% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$17.94 €15.96
-90.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.88 Rp 159.8K
$68.1 €60.5
-86.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.15 Rp 56.7K
$13.28 €11.81
-76.28%
Cappuccino
$1.92 Rp 34.5K
$3.25 €2.89
-40.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 Rp 9,030
$3.01 €2.67
-83.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 Rp 6,497
$1.87 €1.66
-80.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 Rp 44.8K
$3.85 €3.42
-35.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 Rp 59.4K
$4.48 €3.98
-26.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.29 €1.15
23.26%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 Rp 17.7K
$2.04 €1.81
-51.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.62 Rp 11.2K
$1.72 €1.53
-63.95%
Eggs
$1.50 Rp 27.0K
$4.77 €4.24
-68.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.29 Rp 113.3K
$16.77 €14.92
-62.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 61.9K
$8.93 €7.94
-61.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.24 Rp 94.3K
$19.88 €17.68
-73.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 Rp 42.3K
$2.98 €2.65
-21.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$2.03 €1.80
-33.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.3K
$2.73 €2.43
-30.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.4K
$2.68 €2.38
-30.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 Rp 22.6K
$2.10 €1.87
-40.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.2K
$2.08 €1.85
-24.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
$1.45 €1.29
-49.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,526
$0.89 €0.79
-52.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.63 Rp 47.4K
$6.94 €6.17
-62.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.11 Rp 398.0K
$7.78 €6.92
184.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 Rp 32.7K
$1.45 €1.29
24.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 54.0K
$2.57 €2.29
16.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,854
$2.99 €2.66
-90.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.30 Rp 77.5K
$25.20 €22.41
-82.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,781
$3.12 €2.77
-84.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 Rp 6,271
$1.44 €1.28
-75.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 Rp 47.9K
$33.50 €29.80
-92.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
$1.79 €1.59
-58.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 430.8M
$34.6K €30.8K
-30.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K Rp 557.0M
$30.1K €26.7K
2.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.0 Rp 1.6M
$178 €158
-49.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.71 Rp 48.7K
$13.32 €11.85
-79.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.90 Rp 448.1K
$34.88 €31.03
-28.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.47 Rp 386.5K
$53.3 €47.37
-59.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.40 Rp 151.1K
$16.01 €14.24
-47.53%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.5K
$11.06 €9.84
-69.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$93.5 Rp 1.7M
$957 €851
-90.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,746 Rp 67.4M
$16.6K €14.7K
-77.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.95 Rp 485.2K
$88.2 €78.4
-69.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.52 Rp 423.3K
$39.49 €35.12
-40.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.3 Rp 1.4M
$103 €91.5
-26.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.00 Rp 720.0K
$121 €108
-67.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$232 Rp 4.2M
$1,653 €1,470
-85.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$1,302 €1,158
-88.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$546 Rp 9.8M
$2,557 €2,275
-78.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 Rp 6.5M
$1,915 €1,703
-81.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,159 Rp 20.9M
$7,286 €6,481
-84.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$803 Rp 14.5M
$5,080 €4,519
-84.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makassar
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$214 Rp 3.8M
$2,281 €2,029
-90.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
3.28
188.41%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Makassar
$197
Barcelona
$320 62.5% $123
Accommodation & Living
Makassar
$148
Barcelona
$1.3K 779% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
$117
Barcelona
$226 93.9% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
$75
Barcelona
$158 112% $84
Eating Out
Makassar
$69
Barcelona
$270 293% $201
Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
$28
Barcelona
$75 167% $47
Getting Around
Makassar
$7.6
Barcelona
$47 524% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $232 in Makassar and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 967% 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: $9.00 in Makassar vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $320 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Makassar
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
13:38 1:38 PM
07:38 7:38 AM
6 h behind Makassar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,427,619
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Makassar Barcelona 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Makassar
  • 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
Makassar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Makassar and in Barcelona?
Makassar and Barcelona differ by about 274% in total monthly costs ($641 vs $2,399 including rent). Makassar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 967% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Makassar and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $232 in Makassar versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Makassar and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $93.5 in Makassar versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $641 in Makassar versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Makassar and Barcelona?
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.
Is Makassar or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Makassar 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.
Where should expats move: Makassar or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 274% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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