Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $912 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,467 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,022 in Colima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Colima is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$6.38 MX$112

176.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$31.42 MX$551

121.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$7.83 MX$137

80.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.09 MX$36.65

33.97%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.77 MX$13.55

264.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.51 MX$8.93

303.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.75 MX$30.63

162.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.72 MX$47.69

72.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.34 MX$23.47

-8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.60 MX$45.58

-21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.38 MX$24.18

43.48%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.25 MX$39.40

55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.93 MX$104

209.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$7.72 MX$135

27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$9.59 MX$168

99.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.75 MX$48.24

-0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.29 MX$22.62

84.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.51 MX$26.56

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.18 MX$38.32

26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.79 MX$31.31

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.31 MX$40.50

-22.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.33 MX$23.39

11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.08 MX$19.01

-15.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$3.61 MX$63.3

97.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$6.73 MX$118

17.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.56 MX$27.45

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.88 MX$32.89

27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.60 MX$10.55

401.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$19.07 MX$335

53.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.32 MX$40.74

87.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.53 MX$26.88

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.51 MX$149

247.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.28 MX$22.53

42.19%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$21.9K MX$383.6K

73.23%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.3K MX$373.2K

52.19%

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

$189 €165

$62.5 MX$1,096

202.40%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$19.09 MX$335

16.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$30.93 MX$543

20.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$34.04 MX$597

70.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$20.89 MX$366

-1.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.48 MX$78.5

142.63%

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

$706 €618

$141 MX$2,468

401.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,406 MX$42.2K

517.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$46.85 MX$822

90.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$27.87 MX$489

31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$86.9 MX$1,525

19.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$98.1 MX$1,720

21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$511 MX$8,957

209.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$255 MX$4,473

385.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$326 MX$5,717

732.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$551 MX$9,656

270.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$298 MX$5,234

692.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.07

-69.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colima: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $511 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 692% 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 $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $231 per month, with Colima 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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Colima differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $912 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 692% 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 $511 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $141 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $912 in Colima versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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 Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.