Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pachuca Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pachuca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $876 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,437 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,997 in Pachuca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Pachuca is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$4.79 MX$83.0

267.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.63 MX$427

177.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$7.75 MX$134

81.42%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.85 MX$49.40

-2.46%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.14 MX$19.79

145.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 MX$13.21

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.55 MX$26.87

187.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.24 MX$56.1

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.43 MX$24.79

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.88 MX$49.93

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.83 MX$31.64

4.92%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.51 MX$43.57

31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.25 MX$126

154.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.44 MX$76.9

113.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$7.42 MX$129

158.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.93 MX$33.46

36.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.26 MX$21.77

94.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.46 MX$25.36

45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.62 MX$28.14

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.46 MX$25.37

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.25 MX$21.74

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.89 MX$15.46

65.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.98 MX$17.01

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.24 MX$73.5

68.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.60 MX$149

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.29 MX$22.39

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.51 MX$43.46

-7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.58 MX$10.07

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$26.08 MX$452

12.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.55 MX$44.19

80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.24 MX$21.49

66.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$7.92 MX$137

268.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.32 MX$22.81

39.39%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.5K MX$320.4K

110.98%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$21.1K MX$365.8K

54.92%

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

$188 €162

$52.2 MX$904

260.08%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$17.38 MX$301

31.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$22.62 MX$392

62.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$23.36 MX$405

145.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$10.41 MX$180

98.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.60 MX$79.7

143.26%

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

$721 €621

$161 MX$2,795

346.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,066 MX$53.1K

390.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$53.2 MX$922

62.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.42 MX$700

-8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$94.4 MX$1,636

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$75.1 MX$1,301

54.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$385 MX$6,664

298.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$266 MX$4,607

359.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$726 MX$12.6K

271.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$668 MX$11.6K

201.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$770 MX$13.3K

837.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$676 MX$11.7K

667.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$695 MX$12.0K

239.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.75

-68.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $385 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 240% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $209 per month, with Pachuca 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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pachuca differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $876 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 240% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $385 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $161 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Pachuca versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca 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 Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.