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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $951 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,510 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,068 in Zacatecas.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zacatecas is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.04 MX$105

183.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$31.14 MX$539

118.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.02 MX$122

94.30%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.87 MX$49.73

-3.14%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.21 MX$20.97

133.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.74 MX$12.72

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.89 MX$32.77

134.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.90 MX$67.5

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.39 MX$24.00

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.14 MX$37.02

-0.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.54 MX$26.72

29.22%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.10 MX$36.29

60.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.99 MX$121

171.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.63 MX$97.5

69.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.32 MX$161

100.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.68 MX$29.03

57.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.44 MX$24.87

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.80 MX$31.12

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.41 MX$24.45

93.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.73 MX$29.87

13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.00 MX$34.58

-9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.39 MX$24.05

8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.82 MX$14.12

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.22 MX$73.0

60.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.11 MX$192

-28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.60 MX$27.72

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.28 MX$56.8

-26.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.52 MX$8.98

459.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.05 MX$278

78.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.08 MX$36.06

120.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.01 MX$17.39

101.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$11.58 MX$200

148.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.25 MX$21.68

45.60%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$23.7K MX$410.5K

65.70%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$23.7K MX$409.2K

37.31%

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

$187 €162

$22.56 MX$390

727.26%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.03 MX$139

177.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$24.85 MX$430

46.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$23.95 MX$414

140.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$7.98 MX$138

159.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.06 MX$70.2

165.27%

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

$725 €628

$190 MX$3,290

281.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,222 MX$55.7K

370.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$43.44 MX$752

102.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$43.12 MX$746

-14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$88.6 MX$1,532

16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$41.62 MX$720

184.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$238 MX$4,112

541.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$392 MX$6,788

212.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$369 MX$6,379

639.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$762 MX$13.2K

160.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$596 MX$10.3K

779.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$437 MX$7,559

447.66%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $238 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 448% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 ($2,359 vs $951 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 448% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $238 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $951 in Zacatecas versus $2,359 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.