Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pisco Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pisco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $683 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,046 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,409 in Pisco.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 262% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Pisco is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$4.40 PEN 14.85

325.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$35.60 PEN 120

95.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$6.93 PEN 23.38

98.70%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.42 PEN 11.53

-9.36%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.13 PEN 3.82

150.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.62 PEN 2.10

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.60 PEN 8.78

53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$4.40 PEN 14.86

2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.63 PEN 5.49

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.33 PEN 7.87

-7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.24 PEN 4.18

41.94%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.32 PEN 4.45

288.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$6.52 PEN 22.01

174.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$4.80 PEN 16.18

101.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$6.56 PEN 22.15

207.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.35 PEN 4.56

140.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.02 PEN 3.43

118.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.46 PEN 4.93

78.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.58 PEN 1.96

375.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.43 PEN 1.46

413.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.89 PEN 2.99

138.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.86 PEN 2.89

80.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.93 PEN 3.15

2.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$6.02 PEN 20.30

21.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$8.94 PEN 30.18

-9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.96 PEN 6.62

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.47 PEN 8.34

12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.86 PEN 2.91

261.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$36.37 PEN 123

-28.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.99 PEN 13.47

-18.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.12 PEN 7.16

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$7.23 PEN 24.41

374.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.72 PEN 5.81

0.58%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.8K PEN 73.4K

67.07%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.7K PEN 90.2K

14.18%

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

$187 €163

$43.76 PEN 148

327.51%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$17.39 PEN 58.7

-12.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$11.74 PEN 39.62

221.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$21.17 PEN 71.4

164.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$8.70 PEN 29.34

96.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$7.55 PEN 25.47

51.13%

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

$997 €867

$183 PEN 619

443.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.2K PEN 44.4K

25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$53.4 PEN 180

73.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$13.38 PEN 45.14

208.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$48.28 PEN 163

130.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$35.84 PEN 121

249.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$162 PEN 548

951.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$136 PEN 460

842.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$146 PEN 493

1228.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,846 PEN 6,227

314.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,358 PEN 4,582

280.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$587 PEN 1,980

300.23%

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 Pisco: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $162 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 300% 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 Pisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $185 per month, with Pisco 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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pisco differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $683 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 300% 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 $162 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $683 in Pisco versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco 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 Pisco 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.