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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $975 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,515 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,055 in Lima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 142% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Lima is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.24 PEN 14.40

304.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$33.85 PEN 115

101.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.10 PEN 24.11

92.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.58 PEN 8.77

7.75%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.90 PEN 3.07

213.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.64 PEN 2.19

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.24 PEN 7.60

97.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.92 PEN 13.30

17.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.47 PEN 4.99

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.63 PEN 8.91

-19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.31 PEN 4.46

51.91%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.96 PEN 10.06

13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.03 PEN 27.26

136.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.59 PEN 18.97

70.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.56 PEN 35.86

77.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.00 PEN 6.77

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.11 PEN 3.78

111.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.14 PEN 3.86

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.26 PEN 4.28

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.98 PEN 3.33

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.01 PEN 3.42

79.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.82 PEN 2.80

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.87 PEN 2.97

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.48 PEN 18.62

23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.85 PEN 30.06

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.71 PEN 5.80

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.93 PEN 9.93

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.71 PEN 2.42

309.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$30.86 PEN 105

-7.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.39 PEN 11.49

35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.12 PEN 7.20

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$8.48 PEN 28.80

238.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.32 PEN 4.48

37.88%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.7K PEN 66.8K

99.89%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$24.9K PEN 84.7K

30.23%

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

$187 €162

$57.0 PEN 194

227.36%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$12.83 PEN 43.54

73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$23.68 PEN 80.4

53.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$31.09 PEN 106

85.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$18.87 PEN 64.1

9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.84 PEN 23.22

57.46%

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

$725 €628

$223 PEN 757

225.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,847 PEN 26.6K

93.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$50.3 PEN 171

74.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$35.93 PEN 122

2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$90.3 PEN 307

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$90.4 PEN 307

31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$621 PEN 2,109

145.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$352 PEN 1,197

248.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,037 PEN 3,519

163.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$622 PEN 2,113

218.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,363 PEN 8,023

216.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,424 PEN 4,836

268.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$636 PEN 2,160

276.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.11

-66.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $621 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 276% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $220 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 142% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $975 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 276% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $621 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $223 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 $975 in Lima versus $2,359 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 142% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.