Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barranquilla Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barranquilla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $864 in Barranquilla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,339 in Barranquilla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,814 in Barranquilla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 171% more expensive than Barranquilla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Barranquilla is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.81 COP 17.4K

266.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$31.59 COP 114.0K

117.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.29 COP 26.3K

88.61%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.77 COP 6,391

55.93%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.87 COP 3,137

219.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.59 COP 2,137

247.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.29 COP 4,666

257.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.00 COP 7,208

129.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.93 COP 3,373

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.33 COP 4,789

58.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.07 COP 3,861

84.11%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.00 COP 7,204

72.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$4.57 COP 16.5K

312.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.23 COP 18.9K

80.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.17 COP 25.9K

165.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.80 COP 10.1K

-2.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.31 COP 4,728

80.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.51 COP 5,436

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.84 COP 3,017

228.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.97 COP 3,490

103.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.44 COP 5,202

24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.82 COP 2,963

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.63 COP 2,268

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.87 COP 10.4K

135.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.26 COP 37.1K

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.86 COP 3,089

67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.33 COP 4,800

81.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.72 COP 2,594

320.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$32.88 COP 118.7K

-13.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.97 COP 7,108

124.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.83 COP 10.2K

-27.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.88 COP 17.6K

501.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.97 COP 3,519

94.85%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$15.1K COP 54.5M

156.58%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.6K COP 81.6M

43.24%

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

$189 €161

$138 COP 496.8K

37.06%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.08 COP 29.2K

174.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$21.93 COP 79.2K

67.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$21.32 COP 77.0K

172.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$14.65 COP 52.9K

43.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.26 COP 15.4K

159.39%

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

$726 €622

$61.3 COP 221.2K

1085.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,815 COP 6.6M

739.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$62.6 COP 226.1K

41.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$53.3 COP 192.4K

-30.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.9 COP 284.7K

30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$72.5 COP 261.7K

64.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$235 COP 848.1K

549.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$221 COP 797.4K

451.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$543 COP 2.0M

415.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$467 COP 1.7M

333.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,640 COP 5.9M

332.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$628 COP 2.3M

671.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$506 COP 1.8M

374.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-66.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $235 in Barranquilla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 375% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Barranquilla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $172 per month, with Barranquilla 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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barranquilla differ by about 171% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $864 including rent). Barranquilla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 375% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $235 in Barranquilla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $61.3 in Barranquilla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Barranquilla versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barranquilla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barranquilla 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 Barranquilla 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 Barranquilla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.