Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $899 in Quilmes versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Quilmes versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Quilmes versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quilmes is 33% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

$17.58 €15.12

-48.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.19 ARS 43.1K

$68.4 €58.9

-55.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

$14.06 €12.09

-36.13%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ARS 2,415

$2.78 €2.39

-39.21%

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

$1.29 ARS 1,837

$2.80 €2.41

-53.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ARS 1,610

$2.06 €1.78

-45.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ARS 1,700

$4.46 €3.84

-73.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 3,843

$4.61 €3.96

-41.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ARS 1,749

$1.24 €1.07

-0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ARS 2,205

$2.03 €1.74

-23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ARS 2,525

$1.92 €1.65

-7.81%

Eggs

$2.14 ARS 3,051

$3.31 €2.85

-35.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 ARS 19.0K

$18.43 €15.85

-27.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 8,676

$9.49 €8.16

-35.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ARS 15.2K

$19.16 €16.48

-44.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ARS 2,565

$2.64 €2.27

-31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 2,956

$2.45 €2.11

-15.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,433

$2.12 €1.82

-52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 3,804

$2.85 €2.45

-6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,672

$2.04 €1.75

-42.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 1,978

$1.85 €1.59

-24.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ARS 1,246

$1.47 €1.26

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ARS 2,542

$0.84 €0.73

111.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ARS 4,826

$7.14 €6.14

-52.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.22 ARS 6,026

$7.88 €6.78

-46.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ARS 1,767

$1.38 €1.19

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ARS 4,557

$2.31 €1.99

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ARS 1,193

$2.98 €2.56

-71.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 ARS 3,643

$4.60 €3.95

-44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,321

$2.07 €1.78

-55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ARS 8,510

$29.18 €25.10

-79.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ARS 1,476

$1.84 €1.58

-44.02%

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

$24.1K ARS 34.4M

$39.0K €33.6K

-38.10%

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

$26.3K ARS 37.6M

$32.7K €28.1K

-19.47%

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

$56.0 ARS 79.8K

$188 €162

-70.20%

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

$18.13 ARS 25.9K

$22.93 €19.73

-20.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.44 ARS 20.6K

$36.71 €31.58

-60.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.44 ARS 37.7K

$57.4 €49.35

-53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ARS 20.0K

$20.70 €17.80

-32.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 ARS 7,337

$11.19 €9.63

-54.07%

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

$222 ARS 316.5K

$721 €620

-69.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

$15.0K €12.9K

-92.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ARS 88.5K

$86.2 €74.2

-28.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 ARS 84.8K

$37.07 €31.89

60.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ARS 152.7K

$102 €87.8

4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ARS 137.2K

$116 €99.7

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ARS 473.3K

$1,534 €1,319

-78.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ARS 344.9K

$1,220 €1,050

-80.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ARS 962.7K

$2,696 €2,319

-74.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 ARS 768.5K

$2,013 €1,732

-73.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

$7,220 €6,211

-67.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

$5,189 €4,463

-66.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

$2,359 €2,029

-52.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

3.39

2849.85%

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

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $332 in Quilmes and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 111% 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: $30.00 in Quilmes vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $318 per month, with Quilmes 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

Quilmes vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes and Barcelona differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $2,367 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 111% 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: $332 in Quilmes versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Quilmes versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Quilmes versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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, Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.