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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,093 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,742 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,390 in Tampico.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 116% more expensive than Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tampico is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.47 MX$112

171.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$41.92 MX$727

63.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.99 MX$104

134.72%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.34 MX$57.8

-16.77%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.86 MX$14.93

225.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.82 MX$14.26

151.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.42 MX$24.69

214.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.09 MX$36.30

120.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.45 MX$25.05

-14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.89 MX$67.4

-47.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.55 MX$26.79

23.87%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.98 MX$69.0

-16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$4.47 MX$77.5

312.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.46 MX$147

12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$11.05 MX$191

73.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.77 MX$47.99

-4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.20 MX$20.78

104.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.75 MX$30.41

21.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.59 MX$27.59

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.83 MX$31.76

11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.17 MX$37.68

-14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.64 MX$28.48

-10.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.90 MX$15.52

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.27 MX$73.9

67.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.82 MX$188

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.76 MX$30.50

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.60 MX$45.01

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.77 MX$13.28

287.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$26.44 MX$458

10.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.66 MX$46.01

72.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.49 MX$43.15

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$4.94 MX$85.6

490.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.33 MX$22.98

38.35%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.7K MX$722.3K

-6.40%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$22.0K MX$380.9K

48.76%

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

$188 €162

$79.0 MX$1,369

137.69%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$25.85 MX$448

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$23.95 MX$415

53.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$38.83 MX$673

47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$15.82 MX$274

30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.19 MX$89.9

115.61%

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

$721 €621

$238 MX$4,122

203.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,662 MX$63.5K

310.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$84.7 MX$1,468

1.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$62.7 MX$1,087

-40.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$161 MX$2,787

-36.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$78.6 MX$1,362

47.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$502 MX$8,695

205.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$317 MX$5,496

284.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$819 MX$14.2K

229.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$617 MX$10.7K

226.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,682 MX$29.1K

329.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,410 MX$24.4K

267.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$597 MX$10.3K

295.09%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $502 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 295% 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 $42.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $263 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,093 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 295% 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 $502 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $238 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 $1,093 in Tampico versus $2,367 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 116% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.