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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,156 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,789 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,423 in Manzanillo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Manzanillo is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$10.43 MX$179

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$35.90 MX$616

92.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.01 MX$189

25.16%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.91 MX$49.97

-5.15%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.22 MX$20.88

128.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.28 MX$21.91

55.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.08 MX$35.70

109.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.71 MX$63.7

27.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.38 MX$23.76

-6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.51 MX$43.00

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.34 MX$22.98

48.51%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.95 MX$33.50

73.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.69 MX$115

181.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.41 MX$92.9

73.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.43 MX$162

102.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.42 MX$41.49

11.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.43 MX$24.57

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.46 MX$25.07

45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.61 MX$27.58

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.48 MX$42.63

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.82 MX$48.33

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.99 MX$34.24

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.14 MX$19.49

-24.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.10 MX$87.6

32.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.72 MX$115

17.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.52 MX$43.25

-44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.45 MX$42.12

-3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.59 MX$10.20

394.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.42 MX$41.46

84.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.59 MX$27.21

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.43 MX$145

250.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.32 MX$22.71

37.88%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.0K MX$360.2K

85.03%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$22.6K MX$388.6K

46.19%

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

$189 €163

$124 MX$2,127

52.68%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$15.96 MX$274

42.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$24.65 MX$423

52.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$28.68 MX$492

101.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$15.90 MX$273

30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.95 MX$67.8

173.92%

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

$728 €628

$52.7 MX$904

1282.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,659 MX$62.8K

303.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$48.13 MX$826

84.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$28.71 MX$493

28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$121 MX$2,072

-15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$131 MX$2,242

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$704 MX$12.1K

122.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$401 MX$6,875

204.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$950 MX$16.3K

194.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$767 MX$13.2K

157.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,874 MX$32.2K

313.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,115 MX$19.1K

364.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$396 MX$6,788

492.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.07

-69.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $704 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 492% 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 $319 vs $228 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,156 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 492% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $704 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $52.7 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 $1,156 in Manzanillo versus $2,337 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 102% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.