Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barquisimeto Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barquisimeto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $557 in Barquisimeto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $939 in Barquisimeto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Barquisimeto.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 325% more expensive than Barquisimeto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Barquisimeto is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$7.40 VES 4,137

137.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$30.54 VES 17.1K

124.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.15 VES 5,673

38.52%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.01 VES 567

175.25%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.18 VES 660

137.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.71 VES 398

190.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.47 VES 824

203.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.54 VES 859

199.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.53 VES 853

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.48 VES 1,387

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.99 VES 552

93.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.62 VES 905

104.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$4.10 VES 2,291

349.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$5.05 VES 2,825

87.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$7.05 VES 3,939

171.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.91 VES 2,743

-46.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.98 VES 549

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.98 VES 550

116.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.98 VES 546

190.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 VES 551

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.47 VES 822

25.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.52 VES 289

182.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.02 VES 568

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.07 VES 1,718

132.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.37 VES 7,476

-41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.78 VES 435

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.02 VES 569

126.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.44 VES 245

577.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.11 VES 2,856

-9.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.51 VES 287

260.78%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.7K VES 13.8M

57.65%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$36.4K VES 20.3M

-10.18%

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

$188 €162

$20.08 VES 11.2K

835.36%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$10.08 VES 5,635

127.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$40.41 VES 22.6K

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$22.57 VES 12.6K

154.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.49 VES 2,508

149.22%

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

$721 €621

$50.1 VES 28.0K

1340.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.93 VES 15.6K

208.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$24.91 VES 13.9K

48.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$50.3 VES 28.1K

103.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$49.45 VES 27.6K

134.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$199 VES 111.3K

670.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$50.7 VES 28.3K

2308.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$246 VES 137.4K

996.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$149 VES 83.1K

1253.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$469 VES 262.2K

1439.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$248 VES 138.8K

1989.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$190 VES 106.2K

1141.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $199 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1142% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Barquisimeto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $201 per month, with Barquisimeto 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

Barcelona vs Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barquisimeto differ by about 325% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $557 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1142% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $199 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $50.1 in Barquisimeto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barquisimeto – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $557 in Barquisimeto versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto 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, Barcelona and Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 325% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.