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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,231 in Barcelos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,943 in Barcelos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,655 in Barcelos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Barcelos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Barcelos is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$204

$11.49 €9.96

3.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$885

$49.26 €42.69

4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.37 €8.12

21.77%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.5

$1.92 €1.66

107.81%

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

$1.66 MX$28.45

$2.08 €1.80

-20.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.74

$1.35 €1.17

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.5

$3.49 €3.03

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.82 €2.44

109.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.18

$1.13 €0.98

66.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.8

$1.92 €1.67

69.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.05

$1.81 €1.57

19.34%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.66

$3.53 €3.06

-17.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$220

$12.08 €10.47

6.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$172

$7.91 €6.86

27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$14.88 €12.89

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.5

$2.05 €1.77

60.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.40

$1.47 €1.27

36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.83 €1.58

20.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.40

$2.50 €2.17

-5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.23

$1.76 €1.52

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.60

$1.89 €1.64

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.52

$1.65 €1.43

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.95

$1.00 €0.87

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.7

$6.80 €5.89

-19.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$4.61 €3.99

282.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.24

$1.26 €1.09

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.3

$2.28 €1.98

105.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.80

$2.35 €2.04

-85.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$23.11 €20.03

-9.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.95

$4.44 €3.85

-52.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.59

$1.53 €1.32

-63.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.7

$17.35 €15.04

-66.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.53

$2.22 €1.92

-27.48%

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

$22.8K MX$391.6K

$34.6K €29.9K

-33.90%

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

$26.8K MX$458.6K

$39.3K €34.1K

-31.95%

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

$65.2 MX$1,117

$113 €98.1

-42.44%

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

$30.09 MX$516

$18.43 €15.97

63.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$637

$44.68 €38.72

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,024

$39.31 €34.07

52.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$455

$6.98 €6.05

280.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.41 €8.15

-25.19%

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

$465 MX$7,967

$351 €304

32.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.6K

$6,587 €5,708

101.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,301

$76.2 €66.0

-0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$959

$38.52 €33.38

45.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,918

$82.3 €71.4

35.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,066

$107 €92.8

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$526 €456

109.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$366 €317

97.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$934 €810

170.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$722 €625

79.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.4K

$2,760 €2,392

44.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.8K

$1,531 €1,326

36.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,116 €967

-7.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.7

205.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $526 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $49.00 in Barcelos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $259 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $526 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 $49.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,231 in Barcelos versus $1,660 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.