Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,014 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,605 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,196 in Lima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 144% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Lima is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.36 PEN 14.63

329.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$35.98 PEN 121

93.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.14 PEN 23.96

92.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.39 PEN 11.39

-8.55%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.09 PEN 3.66

159.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.62 PEN 2.08

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.72 PEN 9.11

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.53 PEN 15.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.62 PEN 5.45

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.70 PEN 9.06

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.38 PEN 4.63

27.54%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.95 PEN 9.90

73.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.46 PEN 31.74

89.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.05 PEN 20.30

59.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.99 PEN 33.53

101.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.03 PEN 6.80

60.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.06 PEN 3.55

110.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.42 PEN 4.76

83.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.49 PEN 5.02

85.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.93 PEN 3.12

137.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.86 PEN 2.89

146.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.84 PEN 2.83

84.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.94 PEN 3.15

1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.04 PEN 20.28

21.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.99 PEN 30.18

-10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.92 PEN 6.45

-19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.25 PEN 10.91

-14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.68 PEN 2.29

357.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$27.60 PEN 92.6

-6.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.05 PEN 13.60

-19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.03 PEN 6.80

-27.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.23 PEN 24.27

374.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.73 PEN 5.80

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.9K PEN 73.4K

66.37%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.3K PEN 88.3K

16.10%

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

$187 €163

$71.6 PEN 240

161.36%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$16.89 PEN 56.7

-10.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$27.92 PEN 93.7

34.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$33.23 PEN 112

68.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$20.13 PEN 67.5

-15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.52 PEN 25.24

51.73%

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

$997 €869

$183 PEN 615

444.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.5K PEN 45.4K

22.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$55.0 PEN 185

68.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$36.32 PEN 122

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$87.4 PEN 293

27.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$79.8 PEN 268

56.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$764 PEN 2,564

123.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$352 PEN 1,180

265.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,277 PEN 4,285

100.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$657 PEN 2,204

195.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,497 PEN 8,378

206.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,403 PEN 4,708

268.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$656 PEN 2,203

257.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.94

-64.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $764 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 258% 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 $36.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $232 per month, with Lima 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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lima differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,014 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 258% 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 $764 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $183 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Lima versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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 Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.