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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,046 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,630 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,214 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.92 MX$102

188.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$26.52 MX$455

161.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.07 MX$139

70.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.57 MX$44.15

7.39%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.18 MX$20.32

136.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.73 MX$12.60

172.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.21 MX$37.85

97.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.51 MX$60.3

35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.30 MX$22.26

-0.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.74 MX$47.02

-25.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.07 MX$18.37

85.98%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.60 MX$27.52

111.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.23 MX$107

201.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.63 MX$79.4

102.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$11.14 MX$191

71.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.15 MX$36.90

25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.19 MX$20.42

96.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.69 MX$29.03

25.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.55 MX$9.49

418.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.18 MX$37.41

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.87 MX$32.10

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.08 MX$18.49

34.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.78 MX$13.36

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.08 MX$70.1

66.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.88 MX$170

-20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.31 MX$22.40

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.79 MX$47.91

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.55 MX$9.38

430.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.64 MX$45.28

68.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.50 MX$42.83

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$10.66 MX$183

177.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.28 MX$21.96

42.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$22.8K MX$390.8K

70.52%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$24.5K MX$420.4K

35.12%

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

$189 €163

$66.2 MX$1,137

185.76%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.61 MX$182

114.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$23.32 MX$400

61.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$31.32 MX$538

84.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$16.18 MX$278

28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.20 MX$89.3

108.08%

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

$728 €628

$364 MX$6,245

100.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,530 MX$60.6K

318.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$38.31 MX$658

131.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$58.7 MX$1,007

-37.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$67.1 MX$1,152

52.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$99.4 MX$1,706

16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$590 MX$10.1K

166.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$431 MX$7,390

182.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,040 MX$17.9K

168.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$849 MX$14.6K

132.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,046 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 $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,568 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $364 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 $27.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,337 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.