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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,170 in Ecatepec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,892 in Ecatepec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,614 in Ecatepec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than Ecatepec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ecatepec is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$13.14 MX$227

33.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$46.84 MX$810

46.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.15 MX$158

53.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.57 MX$61.8

-22.13%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.32 MX$22.87

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.04 MX$17.92

98.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.92 MX$50.6

52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.72 MX$81.6

-2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.37 MX$23.68

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.76 MX$47.75

-26.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.84 MX$31.89

4.35%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.52 MX$43.66

31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.13 MX$141

126.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.45 MX$146

12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.78 MX$204

62.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.98 MX$51.6

-11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.66 MX$28.76

47.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.98 MX$34.19

7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.97 MX$34.01

44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.86 MX$32.12

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.25 MX$38.97

-17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.38 MX$23.94

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.09 MX$18.83

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.14 MX$71.7

72.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$15.85 MX$274

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.76 MX$30.36

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.63 MX$62.9

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.65 MX$11.27

358.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$29.24 MX$506

0.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.61 MX$27.90

185.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.30 MX$5.23

590.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$5.45 MX$94.2

435.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.26 MX$21.72

46.03%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.1K MX$313.0K

115.59%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.8K MX$376.8K

50.08%

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

$188 €162

$40.82 MX$706

360.12%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.53 MX$372

6.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$29.74 MX$514

23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$25.17 MX$435

127.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$10.48 MX$181

97.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.37 MX$110

75.67%

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

$721 €620

$338 MX$5,854

113.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,545 MX$61.3K

324.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$58.1 MX$1,004

48.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$44.50 MX$770

-16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$103 MX$1,779

-0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$107 MX$1,858

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$510 MX$8,824

200.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$398 MX$6,884

206.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$917 MX$15.9K

193.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$770 MX$13.3K

161.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$820 MX$14.2K

780.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$803 MX$13.9K

546.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$582 MX$10.1K

305.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.5

-70.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $510 in Ecatepec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 305% 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $280 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,170 including rent). Ecatepec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 305% 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 $510 in Ecatepec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $338 in Ecatepec. 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 $1,170 in Ecatepec versus $2,367 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 102% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.