Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mazatlan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mazatlan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,635 in Mazatlan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,259 in Mazatlan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,882 in Mazatlan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than Mazatlan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Mazatlan 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$10.49 MX$184

67.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$45.40 MX$795

51.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.44 MX$148

62.91%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.39 MX$59.3

-18.58%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.38 MX$24.17

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.03 MX$18.03

99.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.99 MX$34.87

131.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.57 MX$44.89

78.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.47 MX$25.65

-12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.55 MX$44.67

-17.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.09 MX$36.55

-5.74%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.32 MX$40.59

48.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.70 MX$135

144.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.51 MX$114

45.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.37 MX$129

157.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.69 MX$47.12

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.62 MX$28.32

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.77 MX$31.02

17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.74 MX$13.00

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.18 MX$38.15

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.55 MX$44.56

-29.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.26 MX$22.11

19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.08 MX$18.84

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.07 MX$71.2

66.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$16.08 MX$281

-53.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.99 MX$34.89

-27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.12 MX$54.6

-22.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.66 MX$11.58

359.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$39.44 MX$690

-28.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.34 MX$58.5

32.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.83 MX$32.05

12.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$8.16 MX$143

259.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.30 MX$22.75

45.38%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$21.3K MX$372.4K

82.07%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.3K MX$390.9K

44.88%

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

$189 €161

$56.0 MX$980

236.83%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$21.20 MX$371

4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$41.41 MX$725

-11.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$42.74 MX$748

35.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$16.01 MX$280

31.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.05 MX$70.9

172.84%

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

$726 €622

$83.3 MX$1,457

772.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,899 MX$33.2K

701.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$60.5 MX$1,059

45.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$26.06 MX$456

41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$105 MX$1,835

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$78.0 MX$1,365

52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$869 MX$15.2K

75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$874 MX$15.3K

39.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,404 MX$24.6K

99.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,077 MX$18.8K

88.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,633 MX$28.6K

334.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,087 MX$19.0K

346.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$551 MX$9,641

336.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.33

-70.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $869 in Mazatlan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 336% 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 $45.00 in Mazatlan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $248 per month, with Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mazatlan differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,635 including rent). Mazatlan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 336% 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 $869 in Mazatlan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $83.3 in Mazatlan. 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 $1,635 in Mazatlan versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mazatlan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.