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: $932 in Quilmes versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Quilmes versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Quilmes versus $4,613 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 32% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ARS 8,412

$18.42 €15.88

-69.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.58 ARS 53.7K

$69.4 €59.8

-48.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 ARS 13.9K

$14.05 €12.11

-34.52%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ARS 4,401

$3.11 €2.68

-6.11%

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

$1.70 ARS 2,565

$2.96 €2.55

-42.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,487

$1.95 €1.69

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 ARS 6,019

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,414

$4.62 €3.98

-51.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$1.32 €1.14

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ARS 2,391

$2.11 €1.82

-25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ARS 2,509

$1.83 €1.57

-9.29%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,558

$5.16 €4.45

-54.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

$17.56 €15.14

-25.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 9,184

$9.50 €8.19

-35.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ARS 15.0K

$19.93 €17.18

-50.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,861

$3.17 €2.73

-40.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,270

$2.21 €1.91

-32.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,537

$2.61 €2.25

-60.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ARS 3,201

$2.85 €2.46

-25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ARS 1,378

$2.17 €1.87

-58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ARS 947

$2.11 €1.81

-70.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ARS 1,073

$1.62 €1.39

-56.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ARS 1,020

$0.88 €0.76

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ARS 7,507

$7.17 €6.18

-30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 ARS 6,533

$8.33 €7.18

-48.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ARS 1,859

$1.50 €1.29

-18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ARS 2,873

$2.75 €2.37

-30.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,477

$3.14 €2.70

-68.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,364

$3.22 €2.78

-51.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.51 €1.30

-35.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ARS 11.1K

$35.26 €30.39

-79.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,708

$1.75 €1.51

-35.43%

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

$51.0K ARS 76.9M

$36.7K €31.6K

39.11%

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

$39.1K ARS 58.9M

$31.7K €27.3K

23.38%

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

$59.3 ARS 89.4K

$187 €161

-68.33%

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

$14.44 ARS 21.8K

$15.10 €13.01

-4.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.74 ARS 32.8K

$37.60 €32.41

-42.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 ARS 45.7K

$55.5 €47.83

-45.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ARS 15.3K

$11.71 €10.09

-13.15%

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

$299 ARS 451.7K

$1,011 €871

-70.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 ARS 6.4M

$17.1K €14.7K

-75.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 ARS 145.5K

$91.4 €78.8

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.43 ARS 53.4K

$41.00 €35.34

-13.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ARS 97.2K

$111 €95.3

-41.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ARS 107.5K

$126 €109

-43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ARS 718.6K

$1,704 €1,469

-72.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 472.8K

$1,299 €1,120

-75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 ARS 1.5M

$2,588 €2,231

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ARS 1.2M

$1,929 €1,663

-60.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 ARS 3.6M

$7,732 €6,665

-69.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 ARS 2.7M

$5,384 €4,641

-66.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

$2,374 €2,046

-54.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

3.16

1689.87%

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

Last update for Quilmes: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Quilmes and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 119% 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: $36.00 in Quilmes vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $333 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 166% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $2,482 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 119% 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: $476 in Quilmes versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Quilmes versus $1,011 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 $36.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Quilmes versus $2,482 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 166% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.