Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cuauhtémoc Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cuauhtémoc

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,095 in Cuauhtémoc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,735 in Cuauhtémoc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,376 in Cuauhtémoc.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 114% more expensive than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cuauhtémoc is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$10.65 MX$185

65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$39.46 MX$687

74.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.77 MX$135

76.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.25 MX$56.5

-15.08%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.23 MX$21.34

126.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.96 MX$16.77

113.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.42 MX$42.13

90.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$3.92 MX$68.2

17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.43 MX$24.81

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.52 MX$43.83

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.56 MX$27.13

26.28%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.38 MX$41.45

44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$8.13 MX$141

131.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$8.07 MX$140

17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$10.71 MX$186

77.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.62 MX$45.60

3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.39 MX$24.12

70.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.80 MX$31.36

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.65 MX$28.75

67.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.89 MX$32.92

4.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.01 MX$35.03

-10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.26 MX$22.01

19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.02 MX$17.81

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$4.21 MX$73.3

60.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$11.02 MX$192

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.59 MX$27.71

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.75 MX$47.93

-12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.65 MX$11.23

366.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.55 MX$44.46

73.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.54 MX$26.84

33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$8.46 MX$147

246.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.31 MX$22.84

44.27%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$20.9K MX$363.2K

85.62%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$22.6K MX$392.6K

43.41%

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

$189 €161

$57.0 MX$992

230.92%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$22.34 MX$389

-0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$28.44 MX$495

29.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$35.92 MX$625

61.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$15.70 MX$273

33.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$4.67 MX$81.2

136.62%

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

$726 €620

$205 MX$3,569

254.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,525 MX$61.3K

331.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$53.8 MX$935

64.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$39.64 MX$690

-6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$90.1 MX$1,568

13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$80.6 MX$1,402

47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$518 MX$9,016

194.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$400 MX$6,962

204.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$926 MX$16.1K

201.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$775 MX$13.5K

161.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$1,872 MX$32.6K

278.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$1,420 MX$24.7K

241.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.48

-70.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $518 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Cuauhtémoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $252 per month, with Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cuauhtémoc differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,095 including rent). Cuauhtémoc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,642 in Cuauhtémoc to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $518 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $205 in Cuauhtémoc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuauhtémoc – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,095 in Cuauhtémoc versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuauhtémoc but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.