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: $2,459 in Barcelona versus $1,192 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,452 in Barcelona versus $1,515 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,445 in Barcelona versus $1,837 in Manzanillo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 106% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Manzanillo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 €16.15

$11.48 MX$198

62.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €57.4

$35.06 MX$605

88.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.06

$11.44 MX$197

21.68%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.67

$3.62 MX$62.4

-14.92%

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

$2.91 €2.52

$1.35 MX$23.35

115.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.26 MX$21.70

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.55

$2.62 MX$45.22

56.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.95

$5.64 MX$97.3

-19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.42 MX$24.48

-12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.70 MX$46.61

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.45 MX$24.95

24.83%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.28

$2.13 MX$36.75

131.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 €14.13

$7.15 MX$123

127.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.19

$5.91 MX$102

59.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$10.25 MX$177

86.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.64 MX$45.50

22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.57 MX$27.07

43.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.22

$1.60 MX$27.66

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.41

$1.76 MX$30.31

57.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.68 MX$46.21

-21.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$3.07 MX$52.9

-26.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.26 MX$39.08

-31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$1.45 MX$25.01

-40.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.13

$5.95 MX$103

18.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$7.06 MX$122

13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.39 MX$41.26

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.22

$2.76 MX$47.61

-7.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.68

$0.81 MX$13.91

281.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 €23.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.92

$2.57 MX$44.31

31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$2.68 MX$46.23

-32.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €29.52

$11.72 MX$202

190.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.56 MX$26.94

8.33%

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

$35.6K €30.8K

$22.5K MX$388.0K

58.24%

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

$30.4K €26.3K

$25.0K MX$431.7K

21.46%

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

$181 €157

$70.4 MX$1,215

157.14%

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

$15.80 €13.70

$22.90 MX$395

-31.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €31.75

$26.90 MX$464

36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €47.16

$68.6 MX$1,183

-20.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 €14.32

$34.66 MX$598

-52.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.84

$4.29 MX$74.0

164.80%

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

$946 €820

$201 MX$3,476

369.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 €73.0

$47.02 MX$811

79.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.02

$30.58 MX$528

32.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.8

$83.6 MX$1,442

27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$142 MX$2,447

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 €1,468

$701 MX$12.1K

141.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,136

$403 MX$6,959

224.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 €2,320

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 €1,613

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 €6,487

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,263 €4,562

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,082

$409 MX$7,060

486.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

11.3

-72.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 3, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Barcelona and $701 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 487% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $247 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,459 vs $1,192 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 487% 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: $1,694 in Barcelona versus $701 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $946 in Barcelona versus $201 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 $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,192 in Manzanillo versus $2,459 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 106% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.