Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,083 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,617 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,150 in Calama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 114% more expensive than in Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Calama is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.15 CLP 7,611

116.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$33.33 CLP 31.1K

109.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.90 CLP 7,375

79.24%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.11 CLP 1,968

32.70%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.98 CLP 917

186.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 CLP 867

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.29 CLP 3,075

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.15 CLP 3,872

13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.23 CLP 1,151

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.52 CLP 1,423

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.89 CLP 1,760

4.76%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.51 CLP 3,276

-0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.63 CLP 9,922

72.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.53 CLP 6,099

50.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$11.08 CLP 10.3K

72.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.90 CLP 1,770

43.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.51 CLP 1,408

57.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.52 CLP 1,423

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.45 CLP 1,352

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.24 CLP 1,156

58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.39 CLP 1,300

28.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.22 CLP 1,144

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.17 CLP 1,094

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.28 CLP 4,933

35.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.92 CLP 5,526

33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.60 CLP 1,491

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.22 CLP 2,076

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.59 CLP 549

410.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.51 CLP 472

754.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.53 CLP 1,424

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.54 CLP 1,442

18.18%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$19.6K CLP 18.3M

92.96%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.7K CLP 20.3M

49.18%

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

$189 €166

$131 CLP 122.0K

44.67%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.71 CLP 12.8K

62.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$22.29 CLP 20.8K

66.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$38.39 CLP 35.8K

51.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.55 CLP 20.1K

-4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.70 CLP 5,323

90.70%

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

$706 €618

$432 CLP 403.4K

63.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$50.6 CLP 47.2K

76.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.49 CLP 28.5K

20.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$62.8 CLP 58.6K

65.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$82.9 CLP 77.3K

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$352 CLP 328.4K

348.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$378 CLP 352.7K

227.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$847 CLP 790.6K

220.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$590 CLP 550.9K

245.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,467 CLP 1.4M

413.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,276 CLP 1.2M

310.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,160 CLP 1.1M

103.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.18

-34.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Calama: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $352 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 104% 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 $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $229 per month, with Calama 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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Calama differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,083 including rent). Calama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $352 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $432 in Calama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calama – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,083 in Calama versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Calama 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 Calama 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 Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.