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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $980 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,520 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,061 in Lima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 145% more expensive than Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Lima is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$4.12 PEN 14.05

329.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$33.17 PEN 113

111.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$6.79 PEN 23.14

101.18%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.63 PEN 8.98

4.18%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.94 PEN 3.19

196.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.60 PEN 2.04

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.25 PEN 7.68

93.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.82 PEN 13.02

19.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.47 PEN 5.03

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.60 PEN 8.86

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.31 PEN 4.47

51.15%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.87 PEN 9.78

18.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$7.84 PEN 26.73

137.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.51 PEN 18.80

73.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.60 PEN 36.15

77.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.06 PEN 7.03

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.13 PEN 3.84

118.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.10 PEN 3.77

90.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.25 PEN 4.25

125.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.02 PEN 3.48

98.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.93 PEN 3.17

98.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.82 PEN 2.78

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.89 PEN 3.03

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$5.49 PEN 18.70

28.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$8.64 PEN 29.44

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.76 PEN 5.99

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.98 PEN 10.17

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.66 PEN 2.26

336.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$30.53 PEN 104

-7.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.34 PEN 11.39

31.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.15 PEN 7.34

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$8.49 PEN 28.93

243.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.30 PEN 4.42

43.08%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.2K PEN 65.5K

103.02%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.1K PEN 82.2K

35.54%

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

$189 €163

$55.8 PEN 190

238.89%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$12.35 PEN 42.10

83.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$23.96 PEN 81.7

52.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$30.52 PEN 104

88.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$18.57 PEN 63.3

15.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$6.76 PEN 23.06

59.91%

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

$726 €625

$220 PEN 751

229.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$7,863 PEN 26.8K

92.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$50.9 PEN 174

72.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$35.62 PEN 121

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$90.6 PEN 309

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$89.0 PEN 304

30.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$622 PEN 2,120

152.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$352 PEN 1,200

246.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,019 PEN 3,474

166.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$637 PEN 2,171

208.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,318 PEN 7,903

236.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,411 PEN 4,811

273.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$649 PEN 2,211

266.14%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lima: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $622 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 266% 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 $33.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $219 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 145% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $980 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 266% more on average, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $622 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $220 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Lima versus $2,399 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 145% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.