Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buenaventura Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buenaventura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $808 in Buenaventura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,235 in Buenaventura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,661 in Buenaventura.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 197% more expensive than in Buenaventura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Buenaventura is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$4.04 COP 13.9K

337.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$23.85 COP 82.0K

193.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$7.20 COP 24.7K

89.72%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$1.49 COP 5,136

83.89%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.89 COP 3,045

213.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.58 COP 1,987

237.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.20 COP 4,109

263.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.24 COP 7,701

104.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.11 COP 3,809

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.28 COP 4,388

60.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.18 COP 4,056

67.80%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.14 COP 7,363

58.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$4.41 COP 15.2K

322.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$5.14 COP 17.7K

85.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$7.36 COP 25.3K

155.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.51 COP 8,637

9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.06 COP 3,650

133.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.30 COP 4,462

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.86 COP 2,953

227.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.17 COP 4,028

72.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.14 COP 3,908

62.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.86 COP 2,952

75.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.70 COP 2,390

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$2.34 COP 8,044

201.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$10.11 COP 34.7K

-21.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.08 COP 3,702

32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.72 COP 5,918

33.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.72 COP 2,460

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$30.06 COP 103.3K

-5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$1.49 COP 5,116

193.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.71 COP 5,874

25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$6.15 COP 21.1K

373.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.02 COP 3,489

82.35%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$17.7K COP 60.7M

120.69%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$26.0K COP 89.3M

25.80%

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

$189 €165

$83.2 COP 285.8K

127.42%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$8.96 COP 30.8K

153.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$22.86 COP 78.6K

59.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$23.56 COP 81.0K

144.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$3.90 COP 13.4K

177.18%

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

$726 €634

$240 COP 824.1K

202.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$5,849 COP 20.1M

158.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$59.5 COP 204.5K

47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$32.87 COP 113.0K

12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$83.0 COP 285.4K

24.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$72.3 COP 248.6K

61.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$277 COP 953.2K

467.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$242 COP 830.9K

404.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$534 COP 1.8M

407.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$424 COP 1.5M

363.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,667 COP 5.7M

368.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$1,279 COP 4.4M

311.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$577 COP 2.0M

311.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.18

-74.28%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $277 in Buenaventura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 311% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Buenaventura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $173 per month, with Buenaventura 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 Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Buenaventura differ by about 197% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $808 including rent). Buenaventura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 311% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $277 in Buenaventura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $240 in Buenaventura. 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 $808 in Buenaventura versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenaventura but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Buenaventura 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 Buenaventura 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 Buenaventura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.