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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,088 in Cuauhtémoc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,764 in Cuauhtémoc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,439 in Cuauhtémoc.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cuauhtémoc is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$10.71 MX$184

59.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$38.47 MX$660

79.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.91 MX$136

74.21%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.25 MX$55.8

-15.08%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.29 MX$22.11

116.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.93 MX$15.90

113.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.33 MX$40.01

87.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.94 MX$67.6

20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.50 MX$25.77

-14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.61 MX$44.71

-21.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.63 MX$27.90

22.09%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.39 MX$41.00

41.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.09 MX$139

132.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.65 MX$131

22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.76 MX$185

77.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.63 MX$45.11

2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.41 MX$24.18

65.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.76 MX$30.24

20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.61 MX$27.62

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.92 MX$32.91

2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.95 MX$33.54

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.25 MX$21.47

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.97 MX$16.71

-11.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.21 MX$72.2

61.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$12.37 MX$212

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.62 MX$27.73

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.79 MX$47.88

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.61 MX$10.39

378.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.63 MX$45.23

69.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.59 MX$27.33

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.36 MX$144

253.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.27 MX$21.82

43.31%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.3K MX$366.2K

81.99%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.5K MX$385.9K

47.23%

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

$189 €163

$56.9 MX$977

232.51%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$22.11 MX$380

3.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$28.37 MX$487

32.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$35.62 MX$611

62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$15.85 MX$272

30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.55 MX$78.1

137.80%

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

$728 €628

$210 MX$3,608

246.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,559 MX$61.1K

315.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$53.8 MX$922

64.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$39.75 MX$682

-7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$90.2 MX$1,549

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$78.8 MX$1,352

47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$519 MX$8,909

202.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$394 MX$6,760

209.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$924 MX$15.9K

202.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$759 MX$13.0K

160.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,700 MX$29.2K

356.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,186 MX$20.4K

336.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $519 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $253 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 115% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,088 including rent). Cuauhtémoc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,632 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $519 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $210 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 $38.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,088 in Cuauhtémoc versus $2,337 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 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.