Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quetzaltenango Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quetzaltenango

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,071 in Quetzaltenango.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,424 in Quetzaltenango.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,776 in Quetzaltenango.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than in Quetzaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Quetzaltenango is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.02 Q 30.65

326.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$33.88 Q 258

100.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.16 Q 46.96

121.43%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.54 Q 19.33

9.45%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.48 Q 3.68

487.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.52 Q 3.96

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.39 Q 10.59

218.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.04 Q 15.56

125.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.75 Q 13.33

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.68 Q 20.45

-20.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.13 Q 16.21

-6.57%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.23 Q 17.01

51.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.63 Q 58.2

148.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.24 Q 47.55

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.36 Q 71.4

100.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.50 Q 19.06

6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.56 Q 11.92

50.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.09 Q 23.53

-32.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.02 Q 7.74

167.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.74 Q 13.27

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.99 Q 15.18

-9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.71 Q 5.41

112.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.23 Q 9.39

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.20 Q 24.43

111.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.19 Q 62.5

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.62 Q 12.32

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.48 Q 18.89

-3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.27 Q 2.07

977.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.65 Q 27.82

25.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.60 Q 4.60

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.58 Q 50.2

336.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.96 Q 7.28

89.58%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$16.1K Q 122.9K

143.85%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.4K Q 170.7K

45.03%

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

$187 €162

$79.0 Q 602

136.24%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$13.02 Q 99.3

71.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$49.44 Q 377

-26.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$32.97 Q 251

74.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.01 Q 53.5

53.64%

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

$725 €628

$245 Q 1,865

196.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$5,750 Q 43.8K

163.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$49.55 Q 378

77.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$54.2 Q 413

-32.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$111 Q 849

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$124 Q 945

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$216 Q 1,649

604.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$415 Q 3,167

195.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$381 Q 2,905

615.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$255 Q 1,947

676.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.69

-55.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $216 in Quetzaltenango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Quetzaltenango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $239 per month, with Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Quetzaltenango differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,071 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,607 in Quetzaltenango to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $216 in Quetzaltenango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $245 in Quetzaltenango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,071 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.