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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,326 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,040 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,754 in Tampico.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 87% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tampico is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$8.55 MX$147

119.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$45.85 MX$791

51.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.64 MX$149

59.37%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.23 MX$55.6

-4.02%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.34 MX$23.10

111.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.90 MX$15.48

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.95 MX$50.9

34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.32 MX$74.6

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.60 MX$27.62

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$4.43 MX$76.4

-51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.49 MX$25.68

18.12%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.36 MX$75.2

17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.33 MX$92.0

235.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.84 MX$187

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.22 MX$245

41.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.65 MX$62.9

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.27 MX$21.82

75.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.26 MX$39.05

15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.39 MX$41.22

15.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.27 MX$39.11

-2.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.02 MX$52.1

-29.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.28 MX$39.27

-32.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.95 MX$16.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.56 MX$78.7

60.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.16 MX$192

-27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.97 MX$34.00

-21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.14 MX$54.1

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.84 MX$14.42

270.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$29.39 MX$507

-12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.73 MX$47.00

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.88 MX$49.58

-48.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$12.02 MX$207

185.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.42 MX$24.52

21.83%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.8K MX$599.9K

4.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.5K MX$439.6K

19.80%

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

$187 €163

$61.5 MX$1,060

204.20%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$29.63 MX$511

-48.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.15 MX$434

49.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$45.40 MX$783

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$17.20 MX$297

-0.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.51 MX$95.0

107.08%

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

$997 €869

$246 MX$4,236

305.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,846 MX$83.6K

241.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$78.8 MX$1,359

17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$70.7 MX$1,218

-41.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$178 MX$3,070

-37.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$90.9 MX$1,567

37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$558 MX$9,623

205.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$412 MX$7,099

212.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,092 MX$18.8K

135.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$701 MX$12.1K

176.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,810 MX$31.2K

322.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,393 MX$24.0K

270.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$587 MX$10.1K

300.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.3

-72.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $558 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 300% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $315 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 87% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,326 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 300% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $558 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $246 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,326 in Tampico versus $2,476 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 87% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.