Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oaxaca de Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oaxaca de Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,637 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,247 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.99 MX$105

193.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$26.09 MX$457

163.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.08 MX$141

70.17%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.69 MX$47.09

2.60%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.22 MX$21.37

127.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.68 MX$11.97

201.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.19 MX$38.30

110.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.43 MX$60.0

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.35 MX$23.61

-5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.65 MX$46.33

-20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.08 MX$18.89

82.41%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.62 MX$28.29

112.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.48 MX$113

190.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.83 MX$84.5

95.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.05 MX$193

72.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.15 MX$37.60

26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.17 MX$20.49

102.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.72 MX$30.03

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.51 MX$8.97

441.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.12 MX$37.09

-7.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.88 MX$32.83

-4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.05 MX$18.31

43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.72 MX$12.68

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.00 MX$70.0

69.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.22 MX$179

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.32 MX$23.03

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.72 MX$47.59

-11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.51 MX$8.86

494.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.64 MX$46.27

67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.41 MX$42.11

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$10.71 MX$188

173.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.29 MX$22.57

46.51%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$22.3K MX$390.3K

73.72%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.3K MX$425.9K

32.97%

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

$189 €161

$68.0 MX$1,190

177.30%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$10.47 MX$183

112.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$23.63 MX$414

55.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$32.31 MX$566

79.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.64 MX$274

34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.26 MX$92.0

110.08%

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

$726 €622

$363 MX$6,351

100.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,647 MX$63.8K

317.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$39.42 MX$690

124.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$59.5 MX$1,041

-37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$67.2 MX$1,176

52.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$98.9 MX$1,730

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$591 MX$10.3K

158.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$416 MX$7,274

193.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,060 MX$18.5K

163.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$854 MX$14.9K

137.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.25

-69.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $210 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oaxaca de Juarez differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,026 including rent). Oaxaca de Juarez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,539 in Oaxaca de Juarez 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $363 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.