Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barranquilla: $1,473 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barranquilla
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,473
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barranquilla and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barranquilla and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,473 in Barranquilla versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Barranquilla $1,473
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Barranquilla versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Barranquilla $2,280
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,087 in Barranquilla versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Barranquilla $3,087
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Barranquilla costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barranquilla 9% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.26 COP 29.4K
$17.94 €15.96
-48.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.6 COP 198.5K
$68.1 €60.5
-7.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.02 COP 44.5K
$13.28 €11.81
5.57%
Cappuccino
$2.73 COP 8,664
$3.25 €2.89
-16.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 COP 4,230
$3.01 €2.67
-55.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 COP 4,016
$1.87 €1.66
-32.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 COP 10.1K
$3.85 €3.42
-17.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.63 COP 24.2K
$4.48 €3.98
70.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 COP 2,897
$1.29 €1.15
-29.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 COP 3,866
$2.04 €1.81
-40.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 COP 4,823
$1.72 €1.53
-11.63%
Eggs
$2.16 COP 6,836
$4.77 €4.24
-54.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.11 COP 16.2K
$16.77 €14.92
-69.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.67 COP 56.0K
$8.93 €7.94
97.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.79 COP 21.5K
$19.88 €17.68
-65.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 COP 6,823
$2.98 €2.65
-27.85%
Banana (1kg)
$0.96 COP 3,031
$2.03 €1.80
-52.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.65 COP 2,047
$2.73 €2.43
-76.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.83 COP 5,804
$2.68 €2.38
-31.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 COP 3,931
$2.10 €1.87
-40.95%
Onion (1kg)
$0.96 COP 3,055
$2.08 €1.85
-53.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 COP 3,911
$1.45 €1.29
-15.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 COP 3,052
$0.89 €0.79
7.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.15 COP 16.3K
$6.94 €6.17
-25.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.50 COP 39.6K
$7.78 €6.92
60.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 COP 4,855
$1.45 €1.29
5.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 COP 15.1K
$2.57 €2.29
85.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,753
$2.99 €2.66
-60.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$25.20 €22.41
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 COP 10.9K
$3.12 €2.77
9.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.07 COP 9,743
$1.44 €1.28
113.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.45 COP 49.0K
$33.50 €29.80
-53.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 COP 4,178
$1.79 €1.59
-26.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K COP 70.8M
$34.6K €30.8K
-35.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K COP 93.0M
$30.1K €26.7K
-2.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 COP 473.8K
$178 €158
-15.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.84 COP 47.0K
$13.32 €11.85
11.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.41 COP 102.8K
$34.88 €31.03
-7.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.30 COP 108.8K
$53.3 €47.37
-35.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.01 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.57 COP 14.5K
$11.06 €9.84
-58.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$317 COP 1.0M
$957 €851
-66.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,749 COP 15.1M
$16.6K €14.7K
-71.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 COP 362.0K
$88.2 €78.4
29.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.68 COP 151.2K
$39.49 €35.12
20.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$189 COP 600.2K
$103 €91.5
84.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$252 COP 797.8K
$121 €108
107.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 COP 2.5M
$1,653 €1,470
-52.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 COP 1.6M
$1,302 €1,158
-62.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 COP 2.5M
$2,557 €2,275
-68.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$878 COP 2.8M
$1,915 €1,703
-54.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,843 COP 5.8M
$7,286 €6,481
-74.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$641 COP 2.0M
$5,080 €4,519
-87.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barranquilla
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$506 COP 1.6M
$2,281 €2,029
-77.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
3.28
204.88%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barranquilla
$495
Barcelona
$1.3K 163% $807
Clothing & Footwear
Barranquilla
$271
Barcelona
$158 41.6% $113
Groceries & Markets
Barranquilla
$253
Barcelona
$320 26.7% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barranquilla
$197
Barcelona
$226 14.9% $29
Eating Out
Barranquilla
$191
Barcelona
$270 41.7% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Barranquilla
$43
Barcelona
$75 73.5% $32
Getting Around
Barranquilla
$24 *
Barcelona
$47 102% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Barranquilla and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 351% 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: $63.0 in Barranquilla vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $320 per month, with Barranquilla cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Barranquilla
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
16:58 4:58 PM
23:58 11:58 PM
7 h ahead of Barranquilla
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,327,209
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barranquilla Barcelona 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barranquilla
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Barranquilla and in Barcelona?
Barranquilla and Barcelona differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,473 vs $2,399 including rent). Barranquilla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 351% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barranquilla and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $777 in Barranquilla versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barranquilla and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $317 in Barranquilla versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Barranquilla – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,473 in Barranquilla versus $2,399 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barranquilla and Barcelona?
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.
Is Barranquilla or Barcelona safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Barranquilla or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barranquilla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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