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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,637 in Mazatlan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,241 in Mazatlan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,845 in Mazatlan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than in Mazatlan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Mazatlan 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$10.66 MX$185

65.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$44.24 MX$768

58.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$7.97 MX$138

71.39%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$3.26 MX$56.6

-15.95%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.42 MX$24.68

96.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.09 MX$18.87

79.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$2.04 MX$35.34

113.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.56 MX$44.45

78.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.42 MX$24.59

-9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.63 MX$45.65

-22.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.13 MX$37.04

-7.04%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.28 MX$39.65

48.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$7.94 MX$138

134.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$6.42 MX$112

48.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$7.39 MX$128

154.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.59 MX$44.87

6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.58 MX$27.41

56.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.78 MX$30.94

17.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.80 MX$13.91

252.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.26 MX$39.15

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.54 MX$44.00

-27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.21 MX$20.99

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.07 MX$18.58

-15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$3.87 MX$67.1

82.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$16.26 MX$282

-50.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.94 MX$33.67

-26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.10 MX$53.8

-26.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.72 MX$12.49

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$40.43 MX$702

-29.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$3.38 MX$58.7

29.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.85 MX$32.08

15.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$8.42 MX$146

246.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.30 MX$22.64

43.08%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$21.3K MX$370.3K

82.69%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$22.6K MX$391.4K

45.00%

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

$189 €165

$54.9 MX$952

244.70%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$21.13 MX$367

7.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$41.00 MX$711

-10.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$42.69 MX$741

34.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$16.12 MX$280

32.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$4.05 MX$70.3

166.91%

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

$726 €634

$85.1 MX$1,476

753.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$1,899 MX$33.0K

695.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$61.8 MX$1,073

41.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$26.55 MX$461

38.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$105 MX$1,822

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$78.5 MX$1,363

48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$888 MX$15.4K

77.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$886 MX$15.4K

37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$1,410 MX$24.5K

92.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$1,084 MX$18.8K

81.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,692 MX$29.4K

361.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$1,091 MX$18.9K

382.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$568 MX$9,857

318.10%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $888 in Mazatlan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 318% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Mazatlan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 47% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,637 including rent). Mazatlan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 318% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $888 in Mazatlan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $85.1 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 $1,637 in Mazatlan versus $2,399 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 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.