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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,834 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,491 in Manzanillo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Manzanillo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$10.79 MX$189

63.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$35.50 MX$621

93.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.04 MX$193

24.55%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.00 MX$52.5

-8.00%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.21 MX$21.22

129.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.24 MX$21.68

65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.14 MX$37.43

115.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.76 MX$65.8

22.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.33 MX$23.35

-3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.47 MX$43.31

-14.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.32 MX$23.02

49.24%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.06 MX$36.07

66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.63 MX$116

184.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.14 MX$89.9

83.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.27 MX$162

105.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.44 MX$42.69

11.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.42 MX$24.87

66.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.53 MX$26.81

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.61 MX$28.25

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.37 MX$41.42

-16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.83 MX$49.48

-36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.04 MX$35.74

-25.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.17 MX$20.55

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.10 MX$89.3

32.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.06 MX$124

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.45 MX$42.91

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.54 MX$44.42

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.56 MX$9.73

441.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.36 MX$41.37

87.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.58 MX$27.67

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$8.15 MX$143

259.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.27 MX$22.19

48.82%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.6K MX$360.4K

88.10%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$23.4K MX$408.9K

38.49%

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

$189 €161

$124 MX$2,165

52.47%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$15.89 MX$278

39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$24.37 MX$426

51.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$29.11 MX$509

99.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.81 MX$277

32.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.85 MX$67.4

187.01%

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

$726 €622

$53.1 MX$929

1268.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,556 MX$62.2K

328.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$48.80 MX$854

80.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$28.13 MX$492

31.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$122 MX$2,128

-15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$128 MX$2,241

-6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$713 MX$12.5K

113.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$407 MX$7,118

199.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$934 MX$16.3K

199.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$768 MX$13.4K

164.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,704 MX$29.8K

316.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,252 MX$21.9K

287.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$398 MX$6,967

503.87%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $713 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 504% 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 $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $226 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,177 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 504% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $713 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $53.1 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 $35.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,177 in Manzanillo versus $2,341 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 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.