Cost of Living Comparison Between Midlands and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Midlands and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,078 in Midlands versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Midlands versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,405 in Midlands versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Midlands costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Midlands is 20% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 MUR 314

$17.08 €14.72

-60.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.23 MUR 2,083

$69.2 €59.7

-36.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 MUR 339

$13.78 €11.87

-47.75%

Cappuccino

$2.54 MUR 119

$2.76 €2.37

-7.97%

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

$0.95 MUR 44.91

$2.79 €2.40

-65.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.91

$1.99 €1.72

-70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MUR 105

$4.36 €3.76

-48.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MUR 156

$4.74 €4.09

-29.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 79.2

$1.29 €1.11

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.50

$2.05 €1.77

-65.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.1

$1.99 €1.71

-33.67%

Eggs

$2.35 MUR 111

$3.39 €2.92

-30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 MUR 551

$18.81 €16.21

-37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 MUR 288

$9.36 €8.07

-34.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 MUR 589

$19.12 €16.48

-34.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 93.6

$2.70 €2.32

-26.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MUR 94.7

$2.34 €2.02

-14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 MUR 71.1

$2.12 €1.83

-28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.85 €2.46

-4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.48

$1.97 €1.70

-49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.70

$1.80 €1.55

-48.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.14

$1.45 €1.25

-45.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 38.22

$0.86 €0.74

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 MUR 306

$6.78 €5.84

-4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 MUR 389

$7.90 €6.81

4.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 81.0

$1.39 €1.20

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MUR 104

$2.37 €2.04

-6.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 47.34

$2.92 €2.52

-65.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MUR 211

$4.46 €3.84

0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 MUR 129

$2.05 €1.77

34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.01 MUR 942

$29.55 €25.46

-32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 66.0

$1.82 €1.56

-23.08%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$38.8K €33.5K

-8.07%

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

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

$33.1K €28.5K

-12.11%

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

$49.38 MUR 2,325

$189 €163

-73.90%

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

$18.03 MUR 849

$22.80 €19.65

-20.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.05 MUR 1,556

$37.59 €32.39

-12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.69 MUR 1,775

$57.7 €49.75

-34.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 MUR 277

$10.82 €9.33

-45.56%

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

$155 MUR 7,285

$728 €628

-78.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,035 MUR 190.0K

$14.8K €12.7K

-72.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 MUR 4,069

$88.6 €76.4

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.5 MUR 3,745

$36.85 €31.75

115.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,128

$102 €87.9

27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 MUR 4,495

$116 €100

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MUR 24.3K

$1,569 €1,352

-67.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.9K

$1,218 €1,050

-70.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MUR 43.8K

$2,795 €2,409

-66.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 MUR 33.8K

$1,975 €1,702

-63.68%

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)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.39

96.76%

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

Last update for Midlands: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Midlands and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Midlands vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $319 per month, with Midlands 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

Midlands vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midlands and Barcelona differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,078 vs $2,337 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,617 in Midlands and $3,505 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Midlands versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Midlands 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 Midlands – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Midlands versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Midlands but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Midlands 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, Midlands 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 Midlands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.