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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $936 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,488 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,039 in Zacatecas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Zacatecas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$5.95 MX$102

197.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$31.81 MX$547

120.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$7.31 MX$126

86.87%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.86 MX$49.28

-4.20%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.22 MX$20.98

128.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.70 MX$12.01

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.88 MX$32.27

131.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.81 MX$65.6

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.38 MX$23.76

-6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.03 MX$34.97

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.49 MX$25.70

32.89%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.11 MX$36.24

60.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$7.16 MX$123

160.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.63 MX$96.9

69.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$9.07 MX$156

107.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.76 MX$30.31

56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.47 MX$25.21

68.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.87 MX$32.23

12.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.43 MX$24.56

97.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.74 MX$29.87

16.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.94 MX$33.37

-4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.31 MX$22.62

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.75 MX$12.93

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$4.13 MX$71.2

70.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$11.03 MX$190

-27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.62 MX$27.91

-11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.21 MX$55.3

-28.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.49 MX$8.39

487.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$15.97 MX$275

77.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.16 MX$37.10

102.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.00 MX$17.17

114.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$11.54 MX$199

152.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.25 MX$21.47

48.80%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.1K MX$415.2K

61.52%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$23.9K MX$411.8K

36.64%

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

$189 €163

$22.80 MX$392

729.39%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$7.85 MX$135

189.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$24.34 MX$419

50.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$23.53 MX$405

144.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$8.16 MX$140

161.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.26 MX$73.3

153.76%

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

$726 €625

$190 MX$3,278

281.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$3,126 MX$53.8K

382.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$44.95 MX$773

94.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$42.20 MX$726

-12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$87.4 MX$1,504

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$42.74 MX$735

172.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$235 MX$4,043

569.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$401 MX$6,893

204.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$368 MX$6,327

637.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$754 MX$13.0K

160.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$605 MX$10.4K

770.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$926 MX$15.9K

156.44%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $235 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 156% 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 $32.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $218 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $936 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 156% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $235 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $190 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $936 in Zacatecas versus $2,399 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.