Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Lima versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Lima costs roughly 57% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima is 25% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$17.66 €15.45

-77.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$69.7 €61.0

-51.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$14.16 €12.39

-52.40%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$2.80 €2.45

-10.00%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$2.81 €2.46

-66.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$2.06 €1.81

-68.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$4.60 €4.02

-52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$4.69 €4.10

-15.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.23 €1.08

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$2.03 €1.78

33.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.98 €1.73

-30.81%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$3.49 €3.05

-15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$18.33 €16.04

-56.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$9.83 €8.60

-41.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$19.13 €16.73

-44.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$2.73 €2.38

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$2.38 €2.09

-54.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$2.08 €1.82

-47.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$2.75 €2.41

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$1.96 €1.72

-46.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.79 €1.57

-44.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$1.48 €1.29

-41.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.91 €0.80

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$7.13 €6.24

-21.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$7.88 €6.89

14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.38 €1.21

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.39 €2.09

28.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$3.01 €2.63

-77.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$29.35 €25.68

7.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$4.36 €3.82

-22.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$2.13 €1.86

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$29.60 €25.90

-72.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.82 €1.59

-25.82%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$37.9K €33.1K

-48.79%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$32.4K €28.3K

-25.08%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$189 €165

-70.14%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$22.29 €19.50

-43.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$37.16 €32.51

-36.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$58.0 €50.8

-46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$20.66 €18.08

-9.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$10.87 €9.51

-37.17%

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

$219 PEN 743

$706 €618

-68.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$14.9K €13.0K

-45.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$89.4 €78.3

-44.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$36.60 €32.02

-2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$104 €91.0

-14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$119 €104

-25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$1,579 €1,381

-60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$1,238 €1,083

-72.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$2,712 €2,373

-62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$2,039 €1,784

-69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$7,527 €6,585

-69.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$5,239 €4,584

-73.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$2,364 €2,068

-73.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

3.39

198.23%

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

Last update for Lima: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 278% 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: $34.00 in Lima vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $320 per month, with Lima 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

Lima vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Barcelona differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $2,320 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 278% 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: $623 in Lima versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima 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 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Lima versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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, Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.