Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arequipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arequipa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Barcelona vs $649 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Barcelona vs $1,065 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,563 per month in Barcelona vs $1,482 in Arequipa, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 265% more than Arequipa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barcelona sits 77% above the global median, while Arequipa is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$4.13 PEN 14.06

325.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$28.09 PEN 95.5

143.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.64 PEN 19.18

149.29%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.54 PEN 8.62

9.45%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.82 PEN 2.78

241.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.37 PEN 1.25

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.16 PEN 7.33

106.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.85 PEN 19.90

-21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.28 PEN 4.35

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.23 PEN 4.19

56.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.15 PEN 7.29

53.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$5.52 PEN 18.75

233.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$5.17 PEN 17.59

83.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$7.76 PEN 26.38

146.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.49 PEN 5.07

77.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.17 PEN 3.97

109.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.19 PEN 4.04

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.77 PEN 2.61

270.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.55 PEN 1.86

270.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.54 PEN 1.84

242.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.45 PEN 1.51

226.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.72 PEN 2.44

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.87 PEN 16.56

46.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.04 PEN 17.12

56.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.46 PEN 8.38

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.31 PEN 7.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.29 PEN 0.99

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.06 PEN 7.02

123.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.06 PEN 7.01

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$12.77 PEN 43.43

128.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.54 PEN 5.24

19.48%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

109.98%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

28.34%

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

$188 €162

$39.14 PEN 133

379.87%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$10.57 PEN 35.94

116.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$31.04 PEN 106

18.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$21.22 PEN 72.1

170.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$8.34 PEN 28.37

148.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.49 PEN 15.27

149.22%

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

$721 €621

$60.0 PEN 204

1100.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

139.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$37.00 PEN 126

133.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$22.10 PEN 75.1

67.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$62.8 PEN 214

62.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$56.3 PEN 191

106.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$240 PEN 817

538.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$158 PEN 538

671.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$540 PEN 1,836

399.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$386 PEN 1,314

420.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$1,956 PEN 6,650

269.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$993 PEN 3,377

422.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$650 PEN 2,210

263.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-77.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Barcelona versus $240 in Arequipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 263% higher in Barcelona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $171 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Barcelona vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 265% more than Arequipa, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,550 per month in Barcelona and $974 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Barcelona, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $649, than in Barcelona at $2,367. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $649 versus $2,367 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.