Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cancun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cancun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,365 in Cancun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,243 in Cancun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,121 in Cancun.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 73% more expensive than Cancun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Cancun 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$13.37 MX$232

31.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$53.7 MX$930

27.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.13 MX$176

38.80%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.44 MX$59.6

-19.19%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.58 MX$27.42

77.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.90 MX$15.60

128.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.04 MX$52.7

46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.48 MX$77.6

2.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.43 MX$24.82

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.54 MX$44.02

-20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.93 MX$33.46

-0.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.63 MX$45.50

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.32 MX$196

62.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.69 MX$151

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.72 MX$186

78.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.25 MX$56.3

-18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.57 MX$27.18

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.14 MX$54.4

-32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.20 MX$38.11

29.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.14 MX$37.08

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.31 MX$40.04

-19.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.08 MX$18.64

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.28 MX$22.18

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.20 MX$72.7

70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.25 MX$178

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.68 MX$29.05

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.62 MX$45.32

-11.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.60 MX$10.44

396.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$60.6 MX$1,050

-51.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.21 MX$72.9

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.48 MX$42.91

-16.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$9.97 MX$173

192.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.33 MX$23.06

38.35%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.5K MX$529.1K

27.78%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.1K MX$417.4K

35.75%

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

$188 €162

$116 MX$2,003

62.47%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$23.15 MX$401

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.11 MX$626

1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$25.40 MX$440

125.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$24.07 MX$417

-14.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.06 MX$105

84.65%

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

$721 €621

$197 MX$3,419

265.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,199 MX$90.1K

189.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$53.9 MX$934

59.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$39.89 MX$691

-7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$82.7 MX$1,432

23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$112 MX$1,933

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$616 MX$10.7K

149.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$459 MX$7,946

166.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,267 MX$22.0K

112.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,012 MX$17.5K

98.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,189 MX$37.9K

229.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,287 MX$39.6K

126.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$803 MX$13.9K

193.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.42

-70.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cancun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $616 in Cancun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 194% 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 $54.0 in Cancun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $282 per month, with Cancun 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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cancun differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,365 including rent). Cancun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 194% 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 $616 in Cancun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $197 in Cancun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,365 in Cancun versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cancun but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cancun 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, Barcelona and Cancun 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 Cancun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.