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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $522 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $819 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,117 in Pisco.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 348% more expensive than Pisco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Pisco is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.17 PEN 7.38

687.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$11.02 PEN 37.48

528.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$3.35 PEN 11.37

311.34%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.42 PEN 4.82

94.37%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.68 PEN 2.30

310.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.27 PEN 0.92

637.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.90 PEN 6.47

129.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.80 PEN 12.93

24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.48 PEN 5.04

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.60 PEN 8.84

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.35 PEN 4.58

47.41%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.83 PEN 9.61

19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.08 PEN 27.48

132.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.72 PEN 19.45

63.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.65 PEN 36.21

79.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.95 PEN 6.64

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.08 PEN 3.68

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.11 PEN 3.76

90.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.26 PEN 4.29

126.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.03 PEN 3.51

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.93 PEN 3.16

93.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.86 PEN 2.93

68.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.94 PEN 3.18

-8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.53 PEN 18.80

22.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.42 PEN 28.62

-6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.70 PEN 5.78

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.03 PEN 10.31

-21.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.28 PEN 11.16

35.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.12 PEN 7.21

-3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.47 PEN 28.79

248.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.30 PEN 4.41

40.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$19.6K PEN 66.7K

97.79%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$24.8K PEN 84.3K

33.49%

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

$189 €163

$57.2 PEN 195

230.65%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$12.81 PEN 43.54

77.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$23.45 PEN 79.7

60.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.87 PEN 23.37

57.50%

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

$728 €628

$216 PEN 734

237.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,003 PEN 27.2K

84.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$50.8 PEN 173

74.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$36.62 PEN 124

0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$90.5 PEN 308

12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$87.7 PEN 298

32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,782 PEN 6,057

335.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,328 PEN 4,514

289.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$557 PEN 1,893

320.79%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Pisco: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 321% 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 $11.00 in Pisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $220 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 348% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $522 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 321% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $216 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pisco – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Pisco versus $2,337 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 348% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.