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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $899 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,474 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,049 in Quilmes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

92.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$30.19 ARS 43.4K

126.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.98 ARS 12.9K

56.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.69 ARS 2,436

64.50%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.29 ARS 1,852

117.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.13 ARS 1,624

82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.19 ARS 1,714

274.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.69 ARS 3,875

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 ARS 1,764

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.55 ARS 2,224

30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.77 ARS 2,546

8.47%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.14 ARS 3,076

54.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.32 ARS 19.2K

38.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.08 ARS 8,749

56.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.68 ARS 15.4K

79.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.80 ARS 2,586

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.07 ARS 2,981

18.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.00 ARS 1,445

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.67 ARS 3,836

6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.17 ARS 1,686

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.39 ARS 1,995

33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.87 ARS 1,257

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.78 ARS 2,563

-52.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.38 ARS 4,866

111.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$4.22 ARS 6,077

86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.24 ARS 1,782

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.19 ARS 4,596

-27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.84 ARS 1,203

254.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.55 ARS 3,674

80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.93 ARS 1,332

122.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$5.97 ARS 8,582

388.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.03 ARS 1,489

78.64%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.1K ARS 34.7M

61.56%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$26.3K ARS 37.9M

24.18%

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

$188 €162

$56.0 ARS 80.5K

235.57%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$18.13 ARS 26.1K

26.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$14.44 ARS 20.8K

154.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$26.44 ARS 38.0K

116.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.04 ARS 20.2K

47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.14 ARS 7,398

117.70%

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

$721 €621

$222 ARS 319.1K

224.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

1306.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$62.0 ARS 89.2K

38.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$59.5 ARS 85.6K

-37.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 ARS 154.0K

-4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$96.2 ARS 138.3K

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$332 ARS 477.3K

362.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$242 ARS 347.8K

404.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$675 ARS 970.8K

299.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$539 ARS 774.9K

273.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

207.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

194.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

111.46%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $332 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 111% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $237 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $899 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 111% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $332 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $222 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Quilmes versus $2,367 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.