Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Aguascalientes is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$8.18 MX$143

115.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$34.16 MX$597

103.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$6.90 MX$121

105.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.36 MX$58.7

-16.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.11 MX$19.49

153.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.82 MX$14.32

151.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.83 MX$31.99

151.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.19 MX$55.7

47.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.35 MX$23.55

-8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.15 MX$37.55

-5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.52 MX$26.60

30.26%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.95 MX$34.10

78.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$8.23 MX$144

122.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$7.43 MX$130

32.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$9.65 MX$169

98.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.26 MX$39.60

20.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$0.92 MX$16.08

158.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.89 MX$15.52

133.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.45 MX$25.40

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.37 MX$24.03

43.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.94 MX$16.52

90.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 MX$16.19

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 MX$14.27

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$4.22 MX$73.7

68.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$9.37 MX$164

-15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.52 MX$26.57

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.70 MX$47.28

-11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.55 MX$9.67

447.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$22.62 MX$396

29.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.03 MX$17.99

323.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.94 MX$16.45

126.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$3.25 MX$56.9

810.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.24 MX$21.74

46.77%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

75.48%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

38.19%

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

$189 €165

$44.95 MX$786

320.53%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$20.27 MX$354

9.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$23.48 MX$411

58.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$25.07 MX$438

131.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$21.91 MX$383

-5.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$4.12 MX$72.1

163.83%

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

$706 €617

$184 MX$3,219

283.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

470.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$53.1 MX$928

68.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$35.73 MX$625

2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$84.3 MX$1,473

23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$54.9 MX$959

117.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$390 MX$6,824

304.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$378 MX$6,605

227.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$586 MX$10.3K

362.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$585 MX$10.2K

248.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$1,199 MX$21.0K

527.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$1,227 MX$21.5K

326.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$907 MX$15.9K

160.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.24

-69.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 161% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $219 per month, with Aguascalientes 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

Barcelona vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 161% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 30% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Aguascalientes 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.