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: $866 in Barranquilla versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Barranquilla versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,859 in Barranquilla versus $4,563 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 35% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 COP 17.6K

$17.58 €15.12

-71.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.96 COP 110.6K

$68.4 €58.9

-54.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 COP 25.6K

$14.06 €12.09

-49.08%

Cappuccino

$1.75 COP 6,267

$2.78 €2.39

-37.05%

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

$0.92 COP 3,296

$2.80 €2.41

-67.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 COP 2,146

$2.06 €1.78

-70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 COP 4,886

$4.46 €3.84

-69.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 COP 6,877

$4.61 €3.96

-58.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,360

$1.24 €1.07

-24.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 COP 4,749

$2.03 €1.74

-34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 COP 3,667

$1.92 €1.65

-46.35%

Eggs

$2.03 COP 7,266

$3.31 €2.85

-38.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 COP 16.1K

$18.43 €15.85

-75.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 COP 18.6K

$9.49 €8.16

-45.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 COP 25.5K

$19.16 €16.48

-62.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 COP 10.3K

$2.64 €2.27

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,852

$2.45 €2.11

-44.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,434

$2.12 €1.82

-28.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 COP 3,037

$2.85 €2.45

-70.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 COP 3,226

$2.04 €1.75

-55.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,361

$1.85 €1.59

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 COP 2,909

$1.47 €1.26

-44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 2,202

$0.84 €0.73

-26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 COP 10.0K

$7.14 €6.14

-60.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 COP 34.1K

$7.88 €6.78

21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 COP 3,179

$1.38 €1.19

-35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,694

$2.31 €1.99

-43.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 COP 2,732

$2.98 €2.56

-74.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.20 COP 115.0K

$29.26 €25.17

10.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 COP 6,848

$4.60 €3.95

-58.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 COP 10.1K

$2.07 €1.78

36.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 COP 17.6K

$29.18 €25.10

-83.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,584

$1.84 €1.58

-45.65%

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

$15.0K COP 53.6M

$39.0K €33.6K

-61.56%

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

$22.1K COP 78.9M

$32.7K €28.1K

-32.44%

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

$139 COP 495.3K

$188 €162

-26.15%

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

$8.13 COP 29.0K

$22.93 €19.73

-64.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.37 COP 76.3K

$36.71 €31.58

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.44 COP 76.6K

$57.4 €49.35

-62.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 COP 51.3K

$20.70 €17.80

-30.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 COP 14.8K

$11.19 €9.63

-62.82%

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

$61.2 COP 218.5K

$721 €620

-91.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,837 COP 6.6M

$15.0K €12.9K

-87.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 COP 219.1K

$86.2 €74.2

-28.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 COP 187.8K

$37.07 €31.89

41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 COP 286.7K

$102 €87.8

-21.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 COP 255.3K

$116 €99.7

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 COP 838.4K

$1,534 €1,319

-84.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 COP 800.1K

$1,220 €1,050

-81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 COP 1.9M

$2,696 €2,319

-79.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 COP 1.6M

$2,013 €1,732

-77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 COP 5.6M

$7,220 €6,211

-78.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$605 COP 2.2M

$5,189 €4,463

-88.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 COP 1.7M

$2,359 €2,029

-79.38%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Barranquilla and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 385% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $318 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 ($866 vs $2,367 including rent). Barranquilla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 385% less. 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: $235 in Barranquilla versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $61.2 in Barranquilla versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Barranquilla versus $2,367 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.