Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $944 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,499 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,055 in Zacatecas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 148% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Zacatecas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$5.96 MX$104

195.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$30.67 MX$534

124.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.07 MX$123

94.48%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.93 MX$51.0

-5.80%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.23 MX$21.45

126.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.70 MX$12.27

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.83 MX$31.88

151.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$3.86 MX$67.2

18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.33 MX$23.19

-3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.11 MX$36.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.50 MX$26.10

31.33%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.14 MX$37.19

60.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$7.31 MX$127

157.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$5.83 MX$101

62.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$9.10 MX$158

108.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.75 MX$30.52

55.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.50 MX$26.12

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.77 MX$30.83

17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.37 MX$23.76

101.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.77 MX$30.85

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.92 MX$33.34

-6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.38 MX$24.08

9.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.82 MX$14.18

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$4.31 MX$75.0

56.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$10.97 MX$191

-31.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.56 MX$27.12

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.15 MX$54.9

-23.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.52 MX$9.06

482.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$15.83 MX$276

79.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.08 MX$36.12

112.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.99 MX$17.26

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$11.58 MX$201

153.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.26 MX$21.87

50.00%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$23.8K MX$414.0K

62.81%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$24.1K MX$418.7K

34.50%

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

$189 €161

$22.92 MX$399

722.82%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$7.73 MX$135

187.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$24.22 MX$421

52.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$23.67 MX$412

144.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$7.89 MX$137

166.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$4.20 MX$73.1

163.10%

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

$726 €620

$185 MX$3,225

292.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,206 MX$55.8K

374.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$43.77 MX$762

101.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$42.88 MX$746

-13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$86.1 MX$1,498

19.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$42.12 MX$733

183.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$241 MX$4,187

534.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$397 MX$6,913

206.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$375 MX$6,519

645.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$757 MX$13.2K

167.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$612 MX$10.6K

692.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$911 MX$15.9K

163.90%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $241 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 164% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $220 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zacatecas differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $944 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 164% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $241 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $185 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Zacatecas versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.