Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manzanillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manzanillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 88% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Manzanillo is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$11.56 MX$199

62.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$35.59 MX$613

95.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$11.71 MX$202

17.59%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.62 MX$62.3

-14.36%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$1.35 MX$23.18

109.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.32 MX$22.76

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.58 MX$44.49

54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$4.71 MX$81.1

-3.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.48 MX$25.57

-14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.84 MX$48.83

-23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.53 MX$26.40

15.03%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.27 MX$39.05

125.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$7.03 MX$121

154.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$5.84 MX$101

65.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$11.40 MX$196

76.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.00 MX$51.7

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.63 MX$28.05

36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.62 MX$27.83

60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.63 MX$28.03

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.71 MX$46.65

-18.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.86 MX$32.11

13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.29 MX$39.48

-32.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.41 MX$24.35

-32.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$6.19 MX$107

18.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$11.53 MX$199

-30.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.47 MX$42.47

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.66 MX$45.86

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.82 MX$14.07

279.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.67 MX$45.95

22.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.73 MX$46.95

-45.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$11.82 MX$204

189.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.53 MX$26.28

13.07%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.2K MX$382.1K

63.87%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.9K MX$446.8K

17.70%

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

$187 €163

$69.6 MX$1,198

168.91%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$21.67 MX$373

-30.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$34.28 MX$590

9.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$69.2 MX$1,192

-19.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$35.61 MX$613

-52.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$4.64 MX$79.9

145.91%

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

$997 €867

$208 MX$3,580

379.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$46.15 MX$795

100.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$30.86 MX$531

33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$83.3 MX$1,434

33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$143 MX$2,470

-12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$709 MX$12.2K

140.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$486 MX$8,370

164.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$1,664 MX$28.6K

54.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$1,450 MX$25.0K

33.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$396 MX$6,818

493.12%

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 Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 493% 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 $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $261 per month, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Manzanillo differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,315 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 493% 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 $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $208 in Manzanillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manzanillo – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.