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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,476 in Mazatlan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,113 in Mazatlan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,750 in Mazatlan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than in Mazatlan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Mazatlan 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$11.82 MX$204

58.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$49.64 MX$856

39.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.93 MX$154

54.20%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.62 MX$62.4

-14.36%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.52 MX$26.23

86.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.14 MX$19.58

64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.18 MX$37.56

82.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.86 MX$49.26

58.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.74 MX$30.01

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.70 MX$46.55

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.38 MX$23.79

27.54%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.95 MX$50.8

73.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.60 MX$148

107.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.05 MX$121

36.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$8.15 MX$140

147.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.89 MX$49.86

12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.74 MX$29.94

28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.79 MX$30.86

45.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.51 MX$8.76

441.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.72 MX$29.66

28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.49 MX$25.64

42.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.60 MX$27.51

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.34 MX$74.8

69.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.51 MX$285

-51.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.15 MX$37.09

-28.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.26 MX$56.3

-14.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.74 MX$12.73

320.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$43.09 MX$743

-39.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.90 MX$67.2

-16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.67 MX$46.10

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.53 MX$26.45

13.07%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.6K MX$389.7K

60.89%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.5K MX$439.2K

19.89%

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

$187 €163

$62.0 MX$1,069

201.74%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$48.67 MX$839

-68.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$45.12 MX$778

-16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$47.39 MX$817

18.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.76 MX$82.1

139.71%

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

$997 €869

$95.2 MX$1,641

946.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,073 MX$35.7K

697.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$67.7 MX$1,167

36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$29.33 MX$506

40.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$118 MX$2,034

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.9 MX$1,516

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$850 MX$14.7K

100.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$656 MX$11.3K

96.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,299 MX$22.4K

97.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$862 MX$14.9K

125.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,681 MX$29.0K

354.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,094 MX$18.9K

372.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$578 MX$9,966

306.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.6

-72.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $850 in Mazatlan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 306% 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 $50.0 in Mazatlan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $247 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 68% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,476 including rent). Mazatlan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 306% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $850 in Mazatlan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $95.2 in Mazatlan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,476 in Mazatlan versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 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 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.