Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chimaltenango Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chimaltenango

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $730 in Chimaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,212 in Chimaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,694 in Chimaltenango.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than Chimaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Chimaltenango is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.08 Q 38.72

246.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$50.8 Q 387

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.44 Q 49.03

118.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.30 Q 25.10

-15.76%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.23 Q 9.40

127.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.91 Q 6.95

126.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.29 Q 25.10

35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.69 Q 35.71

-1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.09 Q 15.95

-40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.03 Q 23.06

-33.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.06 Q 15.69

-6.80%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.65 Q 20.19

24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.75 Q 59.0

137.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.38 Q 63.8

13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$11.58 Q 88.2

65.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.69 Q 28.10

-28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.57 Q 11.95

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.01 Q 22.95

-29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.78 Q 13.53

60.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.69 Q 12.84

20.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.36 Q 18.01

-21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.75 Q 5.68

96.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.23 Q 9.35

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.73 Q 28.45

91.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.28 Q 63.1

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.62 Q 12.36

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.41 Q 18.36

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.19 Q 39.56

-11.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.60 Q 4.56

245.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$15.64 Q 119

86.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.11 Q 8.46

65.77%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.9K Q 151.5K

96.12%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.9K Q 189.9K

31.15%

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

$188 €162

$80.2 Q 611

134.22%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.30 Q 200

-12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$48.04 Q 366

-23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$7.22 Q 55.0

54.99%

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

$721 €621

$244 Q 1,855

196.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,786 Q 44.1K

159.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$49.30 Q 376

74.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$52.3 Q 398

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$118 Q 897

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$120 Q 913

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.9

-61.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Chimaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $276 per month, with Chimaltenango 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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chimaltenango differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $730 including rent). Chimaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,094 in Chimaltenango to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $244 in Chimaltenango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chimaltenango – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $730 in Chimaltenango versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chimaltenango but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chimaltenango 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 Chimaltenango 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 Chimaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.