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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Cuauhtémoc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,766 in Cuauhtémoc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,419 in Cuauhtémoc.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than in Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cuauhtémoc is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$10.66 MX$184

60.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$39.51 MX$684

72.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.10 MX$140

68.40%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.33 MX$57.6

-16.52%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.24 MX$21.54

127.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.92 MX$15.98

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.41 MX$41.72

83.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.95 MX$68.4

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.49 MX$25.84

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.50 MX$43.18

-14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.55 MX$26.74

28.39%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.37 MX$40.92

42.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.18 MX$142

131.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.69 MX$133

23.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.63 MX$184

76.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.69 MX$46.61

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.45 MX$25.09

62.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.72 MX$29.80

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.61 MX$27.82

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.93 MX$33.41

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.98 MX$34.28

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.26 MX$21.85

19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.97 MX$16.79

-8.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.22 MX$73.0

60.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$9.73 MX$168

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.56 MX$27.02

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.83 MX$48.95

-15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.66 MX$11.44

340.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.65 MX$45.89

72.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.60 MX$27.69

27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$8.42 MX$146

241.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.27 MX$22.00

43.31%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.4K MX$369.6K

84.07%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.3K MX$386.1K

45.52%

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

$187 €162

$55.8 MX$965

234.46%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$22.37 MX$387

-0.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$28.30 MX$490

28.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.84 MX$620

60.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.10 MX$279

28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.66 MX$80.6

131.12%

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

$725 €628

$208 MX$3,604

248.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,567 MX$61.7K

324.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$53.1 MX$918

65.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$39.74 MX$688

-7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.1 MX$1,541

16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$79.4 MX$1,373

49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$512 MX$8,863

197.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$396 MX$6,848

209.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$919 MX$15.9K

196.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$766 MX$13.3K

158.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,640 MX$28.4K

355.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,338 MX$23.1K

291.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $512 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Cuauhtémoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $247 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,112 including rent). Cuauhtémoc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,668 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $512 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $208 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 $40.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,112 in Cuauhtémoc versus $2,359 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.