Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,231 in Barcelos versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,940 in Barcelos versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,649 in Barcelos versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelos is 8% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 €10.07

$13.07 MX$229

-11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.18 €41.28

$53.8 MX$943

-12.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €7.99

$9.68 MX$170

-5.68%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$3.74 MX$65.6

-48.66%

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

$2.02 €1.76

$1.62 MX$28.34

24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.16 MX$20.37

22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 €2.77

$3.23 MX$56.6

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.07

$4.74 MX$83.1

-25.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.65 MX$28.89

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.75 MX$48.30

-37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.87 MX$32.87

-11.76%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.68

$2.50 MX$43.86

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.80

$10.20 MX$179

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 €7.26

$8.25 MX$145

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 €11.93

$11.82 MX$207

15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.01 MX$52.8

-34.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$1.81 MX$31.77

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.00 MX$35.07

-5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.48

$2.00 MX$35.00

42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.08 MX$36.56

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.27 MX$39.85

-18.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.46 MX$25.55

14.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.08 MX$18.88

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 €5.62

$4.35 MX$76.3

47.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.64 €4.06

$16.99 MX$298

-72.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.73 MX$30.40

-31.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.58 MX$62.7

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.39 MX$6.79

484.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.30 €20.39

$18.69 MX$328

24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 €3.86

$1.33 MX$23.25

231.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.10

$0.28 MX$4.91

346.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.86 €14.75

$5.25 MX$92.1

221.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.34 MX$23.44

49.25%

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

$37.5K €32.8K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

93.32%

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

$39.4K €34.5K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

65.25%

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

$140 €123

$40.69 MX$714

244.68%

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

$21.29 €18.62

$26.87 MX$471

-20.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.90 €36.66

$30.51 MX$535

37.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 €35.07

$52.8 MX$926

-24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.81 €5.96

$26.65 MX$467

-74.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 €7.43

$6.51 MX$114

30.41%

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

$291 €255

$428 MX$7,508

-32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,706 €4,992

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-45.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 €63.5

$57.3 MX$1,004

26.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.09 €34.20

$45.50 MX$798

-14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 €75.3

$104 MX$1,825

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 €87.4

$108 MX$1,891

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 €385

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 €305

$623 MX$10.9K

-44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €801

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-56.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 €637

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-40.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,766 €2,420

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 €1,318

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-25.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,091 €954

$1,038 MX$18.2K

5.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.34

-54.59%

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

Last update for Barcelos: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Barcelos and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Barcelos vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $292 per month, with Barcelos 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

Barcelos vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Barcelos, 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: $440 in Barcelos versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,231 in Barcelos versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barcelos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelos and Mexico City 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 Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.