Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tepic Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tepic

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,054 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,681 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,309 in Tepic.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than in Tepic, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Tepic is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$7.78 MX$136

120.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$42.91 MX$751

64.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$9.36 MX$164

49.79%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$3.15 MX$55.0

-11.75%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$2.07 MX$36.20

34.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.37 MX$23.99

49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$2.62 MX$45.75

72.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$3.99 MX$69.8

17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.45 MX$25.41

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.36 MX$41.22

-9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.08 MX$18.91

78.70%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$2.12 MX$37.02

64.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$4.80 MX$84.0

285.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$13.33 MX$233

-28.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$6.94 MX$121

172.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$2.59 MX$45.38

1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.51 MX$26.34

54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$3.49 MX$61.0

-40.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.60 MX$27.92

78.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.92 MX$33.63

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$2.06 MX$35.99

-10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$1.37 MX$24.02

11.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.03 MX$17.93

-12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$4.26 MX$74.5

58.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$11.24 MX$197

-30.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.83 MX$14.50

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.60 MX$27.91

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.52 MX$9.03

476.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$2.09 MX$36.49

119.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.51 MX$8.89

317.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$10.76 MX$188

174.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.32 MX$23.10

36.36%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$18.3K MX$320.2K

110.04%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$19.0K MX$331.5K

75.51%

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

$185 €163

$42.54 MX$744

334.58%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$11.98 MX$209

89.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$25.32 MX$443

45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$36.01 MX$630

60.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$15.98 MX$280

32.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$4.33 MX$75.8

150.12%

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

$727 €639

$207 MX$3,616

251.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$3,426 MX$59.9K

330.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$42.06 MX$736

108.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$15.81 MX$276

136.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$65.7 MX$1,149

57.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$73.9 MX$1,292

60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$513 MX$8,967

204.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$396 MX$6,922

208.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$921 MX$16.1K

197.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$770 MX$13.5K

158.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$1,710 MX$29.9K

337.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$1,250 MX$21.9K

316.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$694 MX$12.1K

239.24%

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 21, 2026

Last update for Tepic: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $513 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 239% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $254 per month, with Tepic 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 Tepic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tepic differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,054 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $513 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $207 in Tepic. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tepic – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Tepic versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tepic 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 Tepic 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 Tepic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.