Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Felipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Felipe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,056 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,696 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,336 in San Felipe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, San Felipe is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.91 MX$120

148.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$38.91 MX$673

74.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.89 MX$136

72.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.20 MX$55.4

-13.13%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.25 MX$21.61

125.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.91 MX$15.82

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.41 MX$41.70

83.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.01 MX$69.4

14.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.49 MX$25.79

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.56 MX$44.27

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.64 MX$28.30

21.34%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.32 MX$40.07

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.98 MX$138

137.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.99 MX$138

19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.38 MX$180

80.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.56 MX$44.37

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.44 MX$24.97

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.77 MX$30.56

18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.64 MX$28.44

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.90 MX$32.92

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.92 MX$33.18

-5.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.21 MX$20.98

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.03 MX$17.75

-13.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.26 MX$73.7

59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$12.11 MX$210

-34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.60 MX$27.60

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.74 MX$47.48

-12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.65 MX$11.23

347.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.55 MX$44.16

79.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.60 MX$27.74

27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$8.08 MX$140

255.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.27 MX$21.95

43.31%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$20.8K MX$360.4K

88.74%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$22.4K MX$387.4K

45.04%

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

$187 €162

$55.6 MX$962

235.79%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$21.98 MX$380

1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$27.80 MX$481

30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$36.01 MX$623

59.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.16 MX$280

28.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.51 MX$78.1

138.80%

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

$725 €628

$206 MX$3,566

251.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,567 MX$61.7K

324.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$52.4 MX$907

67.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$39.62 MX$686

-7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$88.5 MX$1,532

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$80.2 MX$1,387

47.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$510 MX$8,815

199.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$399 MX$6,904

207.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$937 MX$16.2K

191.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$756 MX$13.1K

162.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,010 MX$34.8K

271.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,407 MX$24.3K

272.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.48

-70.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $510 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $252 per month, with San Felipe 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 San Felipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and San Felipe differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,056 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,584 in San Felipe 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $510 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $206 in San Felipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Felipe – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in San Felipe versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Felipe but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Felipe 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 San Felipe 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 San Felipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.