Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Colima: $941 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Colima, Mexico
Barcelona, Spain
Colima
🇲🇽 Mexico
$941
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colima 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 Colima and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $941 in Colima versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Colima $941
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Colima versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Colima $1,533
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Colima versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Colima $2,125
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Colima costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colima is 31% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.36 MX$138
$17.59 €15.75
-58.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.08 MX$602
$67.5 €60.5
-52.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.15 MX$134
$13.53 €12.12
-47.15%
Cappuccino
$2.09 MX$39.23
$3.19 €2.86
-34.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 MX$18.25
$2.91 €2.61
-66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.52
$1.89 €1.70
-56.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 MX$41.26
$4.01 €3.59
-45.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 MX$46.62
$4.53 €4.06
-45.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.33
$1.31 €1.17
15.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.54 MX$47.64
$2.02 €1.81
25.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 MX$21.37
$1.85 €1.66
-38.38%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$52.0
$4.83 €4.33
-42.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 MX$154
$16.74 €14.99
-51.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.31 MX$156
$9.12 €8.17
-8.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 MX$182
$19.64 €17.59
-50.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 MX$52.6
$2.98 €2.67
-6.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 MX$25.42
$2.02 €1.81
-33.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.69 MX$31.65
$2.70 €2.42
-37.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.79
$2.80 €2.51
-24.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.29 MX$43.04
$2.09 €1.87
9.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 MX$42.59
$2.07 €1.85
9.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 MX$27.52
$1.46 €1.31
0.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 MX$20.89
$0.94 €0.84
18.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73 MX$70.1
$6.87 €6.15
-45.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.36 MX$119
$7.89 €7.06
-19.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 MX$27.96
$1.41 €1.26
5.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$32.53
$2.54 €2.27
-31.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 MX$12.70
$3.14 €2.82
-78.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.57 MX$367
$25.45 €22.79
-23.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.49 MX$46.74
$2.99 €2.68
-16.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.77 MX$52.0
$1.49 €1.34
85.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.16 MX$172
$33.37 €29.89
-72.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$25.95
$1.80 €1.61
-23.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$415.8K
$33.2K €29.7K
-33.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K MX$412.4K
$31.7K €28.4K
-30.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.5 MX$1,229
$180 €162
-63.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.85 MX$373
$13.84 €12.39
43.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.60 MX$537
$33.70 €30.18
-15.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.63 MX$650
$51.5 €46.13
-32.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$402
$15.96 €14.29
34.27%
Cinema Ticket
$4.68 MX$88.0
$10.99 €9.85
-57.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$141 MX$2,652
$917 €821
-84.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,527 MX$47.4K
$16.5K €14.8K
-84.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.57 MX$837
$87.0 €77.9
-48.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.99 MX$469
$38.51 €34.49
-35.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.3 MX$1,376
$106 €94.8
-30.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 MX$1,840
$120 €107
-18.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$257 MX$4,825
$1,699 €1,522
-84.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$263 MX$4,931
$1,355 €1,214
-80.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$369 MX$6,926
$2,603 €2,331
-85.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$574 MX$10.8K
$2,062 €1,847
-72.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,915 €6,193
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,128 €4,592
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Colima
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$280 MX$5,261
$2,211 €1,980
-87.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
3.28
244.51%

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

Last update for Colima: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Colima
$263
Barcelona
$1.4K 416% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Colima
$245
Barcelona
$322 31.4% $77
Eating Out
Colima
$129
Barcelona
$268 108% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colima
$114
Barcelona
$228 100% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Colima
$108
Barcelona
$158 45.7% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Colima
$44
Barcelona
$74 67% $30
Getting Around
Colima
$39
Barcelona
$48 25.6% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Colima and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 7.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Colima vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $322 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Colima
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
10:08 10:08 AM
17:08 5:08 PM
7 h ahead of Colima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
146,965
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Colima Barcelona 9,860 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Colima
  • 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
Colima vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Colima and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $941 in Colima and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Colima is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Colima. 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 Colima and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $257 in Colima versus $1,699 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 Colima and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $141 in Colima versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $941 in Colima versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Colima 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 Colima or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Colima and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Colima or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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