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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in Barcelos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$11.51 €10.07

13.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$47.18 €41.28

13.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$9.13 €7.99

6.02%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.92 €1.68

94.79%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$2.02 €1.76

-19.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$1.42 €1.24

-18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.16 €2.77

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.51 €3.07

35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.07 €0.93

54.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.71 €1.50

60.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.65 €1.44

13.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$3.06 €2.68

-18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.20 €9.80

-8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$8.30 €7.26

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$13.64 €11.93

-13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.98 €1.73

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.41 €1.24

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.89 €1.65

5.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.84 €2.48

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.43 €1.25

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.84 €1.61

23.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.67 €1.46

-12.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.90 €0.78

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$6.42 €5.62

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$4.64 €4.06

266.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.19 €1.04

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.29 €2.00

56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$2.28 €1.99

-82.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$23.30 €20.39

-19.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$4.41 €3.86

-69.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.25 €1.10

-77.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$16.86 €14.75

-68.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$2.00 €1.75

-33.00%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$37.5K €32.8K

-48.27%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$39.4K €34.5K

-39.48%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$140 €123

-70.99%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$21.29 €18.62

26.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$41.90 €36.66

-27.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$40.08 €35.07

31.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$6.81 €5.96

291.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$8.49 €7.43

-23.32%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$291 €255

47.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$5,706 €4,992

84.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$72.6 €63.5

-21.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$39.09 €34.20

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$86.1 €75.3

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$99.9 €87.4

7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$440 €385

128.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$348 €305

78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$916 €801

130.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$728 €637

67.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,766 €2,420

40.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,506 €1,318

34.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$1,091 €954

-4.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.15

120.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $440 in Barcelos. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Barcelos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $248 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

Mexico City vs Barcelos: 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.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Barcelos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $440 in Barcelos. 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, Mexico City and Barcelos 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.