Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ecatepec Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ecatepec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,033 in Ecatepec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,820 in Ecatepec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,607 in Ecatepec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 140% more expensive than in Ecatepec, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ecatepec is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$14.71 MX$252

27.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$46.48 MX$798

49.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$11.01 MX$189

25.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.05 MX$69.5

-23.46%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.67 MX$28.70

69.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.13 MX$19.44

66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.53 MX$60.7

12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.85 MX$100

-22.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.58 MX$27.07

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.23 MX$55.5

-33.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.92 MX$32.97

-8.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.88 MX$49.49

78.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$8.83 MX$152

102.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.32 MX$177

-6.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$16.07 MX$276

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.44 MX$59.0

-5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.77 MX$30.31

25.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.09 MX$35.96

24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.47 MX$42.39

11.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.16 MX$37.02

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.93 MX$33.07

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.20 MX$20.61

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.42 MX$24.36

-33.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.75 MX$81.5

54.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$17.21 MX$295

-53.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.06 MX$35.29

-25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$4.05 MX$69.5

-31.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.73 MX$12.46

326.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$32.63 MX$560

-20.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.05 MX$35.23

59.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.56 MX$9.58

164.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$5.85 MX$100

485.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.58 MX$27.06

9.49%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.5K MX$386.4K

61.56%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.2K MX$432.7K

21.17%

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

$187 €163

$44.28 MX$760

322.49%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$16.83 MX$289

-10.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$36.52 MX$627

3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$27.85 MX$478

100.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$11.79 MX$202

44.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$6.95 MX$119

64.17%

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

$997 €868

$377 MX$6,469

164.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,149 MX$88.4K

221.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$70.6 MX$1,212

31.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$55.4 MX$952

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$114 MX$1,962

-2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$121 MX$2,077

3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$262 MX$4,497

551.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$146 MX$2,512

778.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$743 MX$12.7K

245.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$475 MX$8,155

308.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$813 MX$13.9K

841.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$820 MX$14.1K

529.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$585 MX$10.0K

301.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.3

-72.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $262 in Ecatepec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 301% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Ecatepec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $327 per month, with Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ecatepec differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,033 including rent). Ecatepec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 301% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $262 in Ecatepec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $377 in Ecatepec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,033 in Ecatepec versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ecatepec but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.