Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matamoros Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matamoros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,145 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,833 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,521 in Matamoros.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 106% more expensive than in Matamoros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Matamoros is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$10.68 MX$185

60.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$39.04 MX$676

74.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.70 MX$133

77.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.37 MX$58.3

-17.51%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.30 MX$22.43

116.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.91 MX$15.73

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.32 MX$40.11

90.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.99 MX$69.0

15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.42 MX$24.58

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.50 MX$43.23

-14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.63 MX$28.16

22.09%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.37 MX$41.05

42.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.92 MX$137

139.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.95 MX$138

19.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.65 MX$184

75.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.58 MX$44.59

2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.46 MX$25.28

60.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.72 MX$29.78

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.60 MX$27.65

70.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.91 MX$33.11

2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.99 MX$34.41

-9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.20 MX$20.71

25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.01 MX$17.48

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.29 MX$74.2

58.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.50 MX$182

-24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.59 MX$27.53

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.73 MX$47.23

-12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.65 MX$11.30

347.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$32.19 MX$557

-10.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.64 MX$45.66

73.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.60 MX$27.67

27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$8.35 MX$144

243.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.33 MX$22.98

36.84%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.1K MX$365.8K

85.98%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.3K MX$385.7K

45.68%

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

$187 €162

$56.7 MX$981

229.21%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$22.32 MX$386

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$27.63 MX$478

31.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.54 MX$615

61.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.00 MX$277

29.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.65 MX$80.5

131.61%

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

$725 €628

$209 MX$3,610

247.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,121 MX$54.0K

385.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$53.9 MX$932

63.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$40.42 MX$699

-8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$90.7 MX$1,569

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$78.3 MX$1,354

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$501 MX$8,659

204.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$401 MX$6,940

205.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$936 MX$16.2K

191.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$767 MX$13.3K

158.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,906 MX$33.0K

291.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,270 MX$22.0K

312.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.48

-70.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $501 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $248 per month, with Matamoros 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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Matamoros differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,145 including rent). Matamoros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,717 in Matamoros to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $501 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $209 in Matamoros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,145 in Matamoros versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros 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 Matamoros 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 Matamoros 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.