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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,047 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,357 in Colima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 137% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Colima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.79 MX$134

140.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$35.34 MX$609

96.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.52 MX$130

83.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.29 MX$39.48

35.37%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.11 MX$19.14

154.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.87 MX$14.92

116.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.39 MX$41.20

66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.66 MX$45.90

70.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.50 MX$25.83

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.79 MX$48.06

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.45 MX$24.96

21.38%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.66 MX$45.93

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.43 MX$163

89.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.98 MX$155

7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.67 MX$184

88.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.04 MX$52.4

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.64 MX$28.31

35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.59 MX$44.74

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.64 MX$45.58

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.45 MX$42.23

-9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.55 MX$44.00

-16.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.53 MX$26.40

1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.21 MX$20.92

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.86 MX$66.5

90.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.90 MX$154

-9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.62 MX$27.91

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.96 MX$33.82

42.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.71 MX$12.27

338.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$21.07 MX$363

22.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.68 MX$46.26

22.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.99 MX$51.6

-50.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$17.36 MX$299

97.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.48 MX$25.47

16.89%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.8K MX$392.7K

59.66%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.8K MX$409.8K

28.51%

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

$187 €163

$69.0 MX$1,190

171.13%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$21.91 MX$378

-30.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$31.61 MX$545

19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$37.78 MX$651

48.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$23.40 MX$403

-27.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.90 MX$84.5

132.86%

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

$997 €869

$156 MX$2,691

538.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,644 MX$45.6K

525.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$47.30 MX$816

95.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$31.77 MX$548

29.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$83.4 MX$1,438

33.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$110 MX$1,893

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$280 MX$4,821

510.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$284 MX$4,901

352.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$394 MX$6,799

550.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$628 MX$10.8K

209.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$300 MX$5,180

681.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.3

-72.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Colima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $280 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 682% 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 $35.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $276 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 137% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,047 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 682% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $280 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $156 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Colima versus $2,476 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 137% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.