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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Aguascalientes is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$8.12 MX$140

116.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$34.46 MX$596

98.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.07 MX$122

98.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.20 MX$55.4

-13.13%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.08 MX$18.72

159.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.80 MX$13.84

157.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.80 MX$31.19

147.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.15 MX$54.5

46.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.35 MX$23.28

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.25 MX$38.86

-9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.58 MX$27.28

21.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.96 MX$33.85

68.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.97 MX$138

131.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.16 MX$124

32.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.66 MX$167

98.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.26 MX$39.02

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.97 MX$16.72

152.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.83 MX$14.36

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.42 MX$24.53

100.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.40 MX$24.27

45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.97 MX$16.73

90.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.90 MX$15.50

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.83 MX$14.39

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.14 MX$71.6

72.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.98 MX$155

-12.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.50 MX$25.98

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.66 MX$46.08

-13.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.55 MX$9.59

441.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$22.01 MX$381

32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.07 MX$18.57

329.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.93 MX$16.15

122.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$3.24 MX$56.0

800.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.24 MX$21.51

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

75.95%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$23.4K MX$405.2K

39.57%

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

$188 €162

$44.40 MX$768

323.02%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$20.16 MX$349

13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$23.39 MX$405

56.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$25.83 MX$447

122.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$21.83 MX$378

-5.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.15 MX$71.8

169.64%

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

$721 €620

$178 MX$3,075

305.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$2,589 MX$44.8K

480.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.1 MX$884

68.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$34.96 MX$605

6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.2 MX$1,474

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$53.7 MX$930

115.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$385 MX$6,663

298.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$384 MX$6,645

217.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$571 MX$9,868

372.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$595 MX$10.3K

238.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,228 MX$21.2K

487.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,241 MX$21.5K

318.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$920 MX$15.9K

156.50%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 156% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $217 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 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Barcelona pays 156% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $385 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $178 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $2,367 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 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.