Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quilmes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quilmes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $900 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,463 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,026 in Quilmes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 158% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$9.09 ARS 13.4K

94.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$29.61 ARS 43.8K

135.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.75 ARS 12.9K

61.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.71 ARS 2,521

63.74%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.28 ARS 1,887

119.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.13 ARS 1,676

82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.19 ARS 1,754

286.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.76 ARS 4,079

69.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.27 ARS 1,879

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.53 ARS 2,266

32.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.86 ARS 2,755

6.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.18 ARS 3,224

60.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$13.36 ARS 19.7K

37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.10 ARS 9,021

61.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

84.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.90 ARS 2,803

43.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.19 ARS 3,242

8.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.97 ARS 1,437

114.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.68 ARS 3,966

2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.17 ARS 1,733

67.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.38 ARS 2,038

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 ARS 1,367

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.84 ARS 2,713

-50.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$3.35 ARS 4,947

112.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$4.22 ARS 6,244

86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.24 ARS 1,832

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.06 ARS 4,517

-21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.81 ARS 1,200

271.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.47 ARS 3,645

76.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.86 ARS 1,274

147.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$6.10 ARS 9,021

385.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.08 ARS 1,589

68.52%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$23.7K ARS 35.1M

59.67%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.6K ARS 37.8M

26.55%

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

$189 €165

$55.5 ARS 82.0K

240.90%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$18.78 ARS 27.8K

18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$14.46 ARS 21.4K

156.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.49 ARS 39.1K

119.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$13.84 ARS 20.5K

49.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.98 ARS 7,355

118.27%

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

$706 €618

$220 ARS 324.5K

221.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,075 ARS 1.6M

1282.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$61.0 ARS 90.1K

46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$60.7 ARS 89.7K

-39.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$108 ARS 160.3K

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$95.4 ARS 141.0K

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$342 ARS 505.3K

361.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$241 ARS 356.7K

412.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$684 ARS 1.0M

296.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$540 ARS 798.2K

277.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$2,345 ARS 3.5M

220.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,793 ARS 2.7M

192.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,111 ARS 1.6M

112.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

100

-96.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $342 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 113% 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 $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $239 per month, with Quilmes 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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Quilmes differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $900 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 113% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $342 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $220 in Quilmes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $900 in Quilmes versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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 Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.