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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $932 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,553 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,174 in Quilmes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 166% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Quilmes is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$5.58 ARS 8,412

230.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$35.58 ARS 53.7K

94.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.20 ARS 13.9K

52.72%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.92 ARS 4,401

6.51%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.70 ARS 2,565

74.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.65 ARS 2,487

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.99 ARS 6,019

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.26 ARS 3,414

104.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.02 ARS 1,540

29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.58 ARS 2,391

33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.66 ARS 2,509

10.24%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.36 ARS 3,558

118.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

33.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.09 ARS 9,184

55.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.92 ARS 15.0K

100.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.90 ARS 2,861

66.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.50 ARS 2,270

47.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.02 ARS 1,537

155.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.12 ARS 3,201

34.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.91 ARS 1,378

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.63 ARS 947

234.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.71 ARS 1,073

128.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.68 ARS 1,020

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.98 ARS 7,507

43.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$4.33 ARS 6,533

92.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.23 ARS 1,859

21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.90 ARS 2,873

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.98 ARS 1,477

220.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.57 ARS 2,364

105.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.98 ARS 1,480

54.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.34 ARS 11.1K

380.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.13 ARS 1,708

54.87%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$51.0K ARS 76.9M

-28.12%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$39.1K ARS 58.9M

-18.95%

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

$187 €161

$59.3 ARS 89.4K

215.71%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$14.44 ARS 21.8K

4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$21.74 ARS 32.8K

72.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$30.26 ARS 45.7K

83.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$10.17 ARS 15.3K

15.14%

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

$1,011 €871

$299 ARS 451.7K

237.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,229 ARS 6.4M

303.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$96.4 ARS 145.5K

-5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$35.43 ARS 53.4K

15.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$64.4 ARS 97.2K

71.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$71.3 ARS 107.5K

76.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$476 ARS 718.6K

257.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$313 ARS 472.8K

314.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$970 ARS 1.5M

166.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$770 ARS 1.2M

150.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,385 ARS 3.6M

224.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,815 ARS 2.7M

196.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

118.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

56.56

-94.41%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $476 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 119% 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 Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $209 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 166% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $932 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $476 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $299 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 $36.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Quilmes versus $2,482 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 166% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.