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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $526 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $831 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,136 in Pisco.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 345% more expensive than Pisco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Pisco is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.24 PEN 7.87

686.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$11.26 PEN 39.64

510.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.42 PEN 12.02

302.05%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.38 PEN 4.85

100.00%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.72 PEN 2.52

286.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 PEN 0.94

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.96 PEN 6.91

135.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.00 PEN 14.08

14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.42 PEN 4.99

-9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.68 PEN 9.42

-21.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.31 PEN 4.61

50.38%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.85 PEN 10.02

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.18 PEN 28.78

130.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.49 PEN 19.33

72.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.63 PEN 37.43

78.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.03 PEN 7.16

33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.09 PEN 3.83

117.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.14 PEN 4.02

82.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.24 PEN 4.37

122.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.99 PEN 3.48

98.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.99 PEN 3.48

80.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.88 PEN 3.09

71.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.92 PEN 3.22

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.45 PEN 19.17

24.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.50 PEN 29.91

-11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.76 PEN 6.20

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.09 PEN 10.87

-22.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.24 PEN 11.40

36.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.11 PEN 7.42

-2.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$8.44 PEN 29.70

247.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.31 PEN 4.61

44.27%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$19.5K PEN 68.7K

98.60%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.8K PEN 87.4K

30.37%

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

$189 €161

$57.5 PEN 202

227.98%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$12.55 PEN 44.16

76.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$23.42 PEN 82.4

57.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.02 PEN 24.73

57.41%

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

$726 €622

$219 PEN 771

231.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,134 PEN 28.6K

87.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$49.37 PEN 174

78.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$36.19 PEN 127

2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$90.5 PEN 319

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$88.3 PEN 311

34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,814 PEN 6,386

291.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,330 PEN 4,681

264.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$558 PEN 1,965

330.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pisco: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 331% 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 $320 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 345% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $526 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 331% 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 $726 in Barcelona versus $219 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 $526 in Pisco versus $2,341 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 345% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.