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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $791 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,244 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,698 in Zacatecas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 213% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Zacatecas is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.55 MX$113

186.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$34.19 MX$590

103.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.10 MX$140

70.00%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.30 MX$56.9

-6.06%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.34 MX$23.16

111.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.81 MX$14.01

132.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.01 MX$34.58

98.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.32 MX$74.5

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.52 MX$26.29

-16.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.31 MX$39.86

-6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.68 MX$28.98

4.76%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.32 MX$40.04

121.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.04 MX$139

122.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.34 MX$109

52.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.28 MX$177

96.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.85 MX$31.95

75.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.74 MX$30.08

28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.07 MX$35.65

25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.58 MX$27.19

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.13 MX$36.77

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.92 MX$33.11

10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.48 MX$25.49

4.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.92 MX$15.80

3.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.55 MX$78.5

61.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.11 MX$192

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.80 MX$31.01

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.51 MX$60.5

-20.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.56 MX$9.72

455.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$17.67 MX$305

46.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.28 MX$39.37

43.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.18 MX$20.36

25.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$12.92 MX$223

165.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.60 MX$27.59

8.12%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

63.51%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.5K MX$438.9K

19.97%

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

$187 €163

$24.64 MX$425

659.25%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.01 MX$155

68.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$27.37 MX$472

37.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$25.96 MX$448

115.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$8.50 MX$147

100.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.69 MX$80.9

143.28%

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

$997 €869

$270 MX$4,652

269.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,476 MX$59.9K

375.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$49.04 MX$846

88.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$44.90 MX$774

-8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$97.7 MX$1,684

13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$46.73 MX$806

167.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$265 MX$4,577

543.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$173 MX$2,975

645.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$404 MX$6,972

534.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$261 MX$4,494

645.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$618 MX$10.7K

736.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$442 MX$7,621

431.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.8

-70.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $265 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 431% 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 $34.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $242 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 213% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $791 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 431% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $265 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $270 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $791 in Zacatecas versus $2,476 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 213% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.