Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tampico Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tampico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,119 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,753 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,387 in Tampico.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 107% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tampico is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.50 MX$113

171.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$42.94 MX$748

62.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.12 MX$107

131.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.17 MX$55.3

-11.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.87 MX$15.12

222.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.77 MX$13.37

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.43 MX$24.99

221.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.09 MX$36.37

124.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.44 MX$25.07

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.96 MX$69.0

-48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.56 MX$27.16

26.92%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.05 MX$70.5

-13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$4.52 MX$78.7

305.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.40 MX$146

17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$11.20 MX$195

70.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.65 MX$46.11

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.21 MX$20.98

96.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.80 MX$31.33

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.54 MX$26.90

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.77 MX$30.75

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.15 MX$37.45

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.64 MX$28.49

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 MX$14.45

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.15 MX$72.3

71.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.11 MX$193

-29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.83 MX$31.87

-24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.58 MX$45.00

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.78 MX$13.51

285.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$25.94 MX$452

13.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.62 MX$45.67

66.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.41 MX$41.99

-11.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$4.93 MX$85.8

500.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.33 MX$23.10

36.84%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$41.7K MX$726.8K

-9.22%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$22.4K MX$389.8K

44.65%

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

$189 €166

$78.8 MX$1,371

140.01%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$25.61 MX$446

-12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$23.92 MX$416

55.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.79 MX$658

53.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$16.00 MX$279

29.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.36 MX$93.4

102.80%

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

$706 €618

$242 MX$4,213

191.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,565 MX$62.1K

316.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$83.8 MX$1,459

6.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$62.6 MX$1,090

-41.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$160 MX$2,786

-34.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$78.4 MX$1,364

52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$509 MX$8,867

210.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$315 MX$5,484

293.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$794 MX$13.8K

241.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$612 MX$10.7K

233.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,968 MX$34.3K

282.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,150 MX$20.0K

355.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$585 MX$10.2K

304.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.75

-71.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tampico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $509 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 304% 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 $43.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $264 per month, with Tampico 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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tampico differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,119 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 304% 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 $509 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $242 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico 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 Tampico 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.