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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $880 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,451 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,021 in Pachuca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 164% more expensive than in Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Pachuca is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.78 MX$83.8

269.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$24.88 MX$436

180.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$7.99 MX$140

77.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.99 MX$52.5

-6.35%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.08 MX$18.93

160.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.80 MX$13.98

157.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.63 MX$28.53

182.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.14 MX$55.1

49.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.43 MX$25.08

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.81 MX$49.23

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.85 MX$32.36

7.03%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.52 MX$44.21

38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$7.27 MX$128

152.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$4.48 MX$78.5

119.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$7.44 MX$130

157.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.95 MX$34.28

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.31 MX$22.92

81.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.41 MX$24.72

47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.62 MX$28.46

69.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.46 MX$25.68

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.26 MX$22.03

42.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.86 MX$15.01

72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.95 MX$16.71

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.16 MX$73.0

71.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.78 MX$154

-10.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.30 MX$22.85

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.44 MX$42.82

-2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.58 MX$10.20

418.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$26.71 MX$469

9.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.44 MX$42.86

78.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.24 MX$21.80

71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.03 MX$141

268.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.30 MX$22.78

40.00%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$18.1K MX$318.2K

108.88%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

52.98%

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

$189 €165

$51.5 MX$902

267.41%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$17.12 MX$300

30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$23.16 MX$406

60.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$22.61 MX$397

156.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$10.51 MX$184

96.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.60 MX$80.7

136.30%

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

$706 €618

$156 MX$2,742

351.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,064 MX$53.8K

385.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$52.6 MX$923

69.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$39.77 MX$698

-7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$92.9 MX$1,629

11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$75.1 MX$1,317

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$391 MX$6,863

303.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$256 MX$4,496

382.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$737 MX$12.9K

268.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$664 MX$11.6K

207.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$758 MX$13.3K

892.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$674 MX$11.8K

677.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$671 MX$11.8K

252.03%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $391 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 252% 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 $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 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 164% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $880 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 252% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $391 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $156 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $880 in Pachuca versus $2,320 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 164% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.