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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,175 in Ecatepec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,897 in Ecatepec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,620 in Ecatepec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ecatepec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ecatepec is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$13.27 MX$233

33.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$46.90 MX$823

48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$9.16 MX$161

54.59%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.51 MX$61.6

-20.23%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.35 MX$23.72

108.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.99 MX$17.37

108.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.99 MX$52.5

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$4.71 MX$82.5

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.38 MX$24.14

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.67 MX$46.89

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.87 MX$32.84

5.88%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.56 MX$44.83

36.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.07 MX$142

127.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$8.34 MX$146

17.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$11.67 MX$205

63.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.89 MX$50.7

-5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.72 MX$30.09

38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.08 MX$36.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.99 MX$34.90

38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.85 MX$32.43

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.29 MX$40.21

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.46 MX$25.58

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.07 MX$18.80

-14.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.13 MX$72.4

72.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$16.83 MX$295

-53.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.69 MX$29.66

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.69 MX$64.8

-35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.60 MX$10.50

401.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$29.36 MX$515

-0.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.63 MX$28.62

167.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.30 MX$5.27

610.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$5.49 MX$96.2

439.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.26 MX$22.16

44.44%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$18.2K MX$319.0K

108.36%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.7K MX$380.7K

49.18%

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

$189 €165

$40.12 MX$704

371.16%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$21.43 MX$376

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$29.95 MX$525

24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$25.02 MX$439

131.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$10.71 MX$188

92.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.21 MX$109

75.04%

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

$706 €618

$341 MX$5,973

107.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,633 MX$63.7K

309.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$57.6 MX$1,010

55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$45.16 MX$792

-18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$103 MX$1,804

1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$107 MX$1,885

11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$508 MX$8,905

210.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$392 MX$6,880

215.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$918 MX$16.1K

195.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$756 MX$13.3K

169.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$808 MX$14.2K

831.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$798 MX$14.0K

556.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$576 MX$10.1K

310.42%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $508 in Ecatepec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 310% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Ecatepec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 98% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,175 including rent). Ecatepec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 310% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $508 in Ecatepec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $341 in Ecatepec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,175 in Ecatepec versus $2,320 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 98% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.