Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Iquitos, Peru
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Iquitos
🇵🇪 Peru
$656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Iquitos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Iquitos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $656 in Iquitos.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Iquitos $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in Iquitos.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Iquitos $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $1,697 in Iquitos.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Iquitos $1,697

Living in Barcelona is roughly 273% more expensive than in Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Iquitos is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.73
$4.23 PEN 14.56
317.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.1
$37.33 PEN 129
80.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.13
$7.07 PEN 24.35
92.50%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$3.41 PEN 11.75
-9.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$0.83 PEN 2.85
261.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.59 PEN 2.05
227.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
$2.92 PEN 10.06
31.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$7.19 PEN 24.75
-39.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.69 PEN 5.82
-26.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$2.26 PEN 7.78
-6.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
-
-
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$2.60 PEN 8.95
83.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.20
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.98
$3.21 PEN 11.03
179.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.39
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.82
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.91 PEN 3.14
6.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.21
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.03
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.95
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.81
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.75
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.28
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.5K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$35.08 PEN 121
421.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.69
$11.15 PEN 38.37
27.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.79
$8.58 PEN 29.55
302.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.81
$29.56 PEN 102
73.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.60
$8.89 PEN 30.61
84.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.86
$5.63 PEN 19.38
96.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €841
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$2,760 PEN 9,502
706.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.1
$87.4 PEN 301
0.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.54
$34.33 PEN 118
12.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.1
$52.4 PEN 180
99.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$26.33 PEN 90.6
346.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,512
$347 PEN 1,195
388.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,191
$262 PEN 902
409.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,398
$858 PEN 2,953
213.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,850
$718 PEN 2,471
189.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,373
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,524
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Iquitos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,997
$580 PEN 1,995
286.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
0
-

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Iquitos
–
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Iquitos
–
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Iquitos
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Iquitos
–
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Iquitos
–
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Iquitos
–
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Iquitos
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $347 in Iquitos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $37 in Iquitos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $77 per month, with Iquitos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇪 Iquitos
🕒 Local time
21:44 9:44 PM
15:44 3:44 PM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
32,853
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Iquitos 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Iquitos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Iquitos?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $656 in Iquitos, so Iquitos is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Iquitos?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 3.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Iquitos?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $347 in Iquitos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Iquitos – a meal for two runs $37 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Barcelona or Iquitos?
All in, you’ll spend $2,443 per month in Barcelona versus $656 in Iquitos – Iquitos is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $656 in Iquitos versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Iquitos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iquitos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Iquitos?
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.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Iquitos?
It comes down to priorities – Iquitos wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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