Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Barranquilla versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Barranquilla versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,852 in Barranquilla versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Barranquilla costs roughly 63% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barranquilla is 36% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 COP 15.6K

$17.66 €15.43

-72.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.41 COP 102.1K

$69.7 €60.9

-54.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 COP 23.8K

$14.16 €12.37

-48.38%

Cappuccino

$1.76 COP 5,718

$2.80 €2.45

-37.14%

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

$0.85 COP 2,761

$2.81 €2.46

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,096

$2.06 €1.80

-68.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 COP 4,378

$4.60 €4.02

-70.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 COP 6,132

$4.69 €4.10

-59.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,216

$1.23 €1.07

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,107

$2.03 €1.78

-37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,477

$1.98 €1.73

-45.96%

Eggs

$2.06 COP 6,709

$3.49 €3.05

-40.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 COP 15.3K

$18.33 €16.01

-74.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 COP 16.9K

$9.83 €8.59

-47.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 COP 23.3K

$19.13 €16.71

-62.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 COP 9,330

$2.73 €2.38

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,394

$2.38 €2.08

-43.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,919

$2.08 €1.82

-27.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,676

$2.75 €2.41

-70.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 COP 3,084

$1.96 €1.71

-51.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,653

$1.79 €1.57

-20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 COP 2,795

$1.48 €1.29

-41.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,868

$0.91 €0.80

-37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 COP 8,890

$7.13 €6.23

-61.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 COP 36.6K

$7.88 €6.88

42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,963

$1.38 €1.20

-34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 COP 4,346

$2.39 €2.09

-43.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 COP 2,319

$3.01 €2.63

-76.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.39 COP 105.3K

$29.35 €25.65

10.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 COP 6,236

$4.36 €3.81

-55.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 COP 9,614

$2.13 €1.86

38.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 COP 16.1K

$29.60 €25.86

-83.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,262

$1.82 €1.59

-45.05%

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

$14.9K COP 48.3M

$37.9K €33.1K

-60.77%

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

$22.4K COP 72.8M

$32.4K €28.3K

-30.84%

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

$139 COP 451.9K

$189 €165

-26.47%

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

$8.09 COP 26.3K

$22.29 €19.48

-63.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 COP 71.0K

$37.16 €32.47

-41.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.43 COP 69.7K

$58.0 €50.7

-63.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 COP 47.7K

$20.66 €18.05

-29.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 COP 13.6K

$10.87 €9.50

-61.36%

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

$61.7 COP 200.7K

$706 €617

-91.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,834 COP 6.0M

$14.9K €13.0K

-87.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 COP 201.5K

$89.4 €78.2

-30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 COP 174.8K

$36.60 €31.98

46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 COP 260.1K

$104 €90.9

-23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 COP 233.3K

$119 €104

-39.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 765.8K

$1,579 €1,379

-85.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 COP 713.8K

$1,238 €1,082

-82.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 COP 1.7M

$2,712 €2,370

-80.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 COP 1.5M

$2,039 €1,782

-77.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,791 COP 5.8M

$7,527 €6,576

-76.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$686 COP 2.2M

$5,239 €4,577

-86.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.8M

$2,364 €2,065

-76.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

194.99%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $236 in Barranquilla and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 334% 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: $31.00 in Barranquilla vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $320 per month, with Barranquilla 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

Barranquilla vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla and Barcelona differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($850 vs $2,320 including rent). Barranquilla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 334% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $236 in Barranquilla versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $61.7 in Barranquilla versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Barranquilla versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barranquilla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barranquilla 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, Barranquilla and Barcelona 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 Barranquilla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.