Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,115 in Tapachula versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Tapachula versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Tapachula versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Tapachula costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tapachula is 17% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 MX$183

$17.58 €15.26

-40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.63 MX$692

$68.4 €59.4

-42.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 MX$142

$14.06 €12.20

-42.32%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$58.2

$2.78 €2.41

19.78%

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

$1.23 MX$21.47

$2.80 €2.43

-56.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.06

$2.06 €1.79

-52.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.76

$4.46 €3.87

-45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$70.1

$4.61 €4.00

-13.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$1.24 €1.08

16.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.95

$2.03 €1.76

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.29

$1.92 €1.67

-15.62%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.82

$3.31 €2.87

-27.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MX$143

$18.43 €15.99

-55.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$136

$9.49 €8.23

-18.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$183

$19.16 €16.62

-45.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.36

$2.64 €2.29

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.13

$2.45 €2.12

-43.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.21

$2.12 €1.84

-15.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.80

$2.85 €2.47

-44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$2.04 €1.77

-7.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.12

$1.85 €1.61

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$22.08

$1.47 €1.28

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.02

$0.84 €0.73

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$7.14 €6.20

-39.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$190

$7.88 €6.84

37.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.98

$1.38 €1.20

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 MX$49.25

$2.31 €2.00

22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.52

$2.98 €2.59

-77.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.50

$4.60 €3.99

-42.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.06

$2.07 €1.79

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 MX$149

$29.18 €25.32

-70.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.79

$1.84 €1.60

-29.35%

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

$21.1K MX$368.7K

$39.0K €33.8K

-45.89%

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

$22.9K MX$400.3K

$32.7K €28.4K

-29.91%

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

$57.7 MX$1,007

$188 €163

-69.28%

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

$22.58 MX$394

$22.93 €19.90

-1.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 MX$493

$36.71 €31.85

-23.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 MX$622

$57.4 €49.78

-37.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 MX$281

$20.70 €17.96

-22.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 MX$80.5

$11.19 €9.71

-58.80%

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

$203 MX$3,544

$721 €625

-71.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,628 MX$63.4K

$15.0K €13.1K

-75.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MX$910

$86.2 €74.8

-39.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.61 MX$692

$37.07 €32.16

6.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,570

$102 €88.5

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,377

$116 €101

-31.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MX$8,927

$1,534 €1,331

-66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,875

$1,220 €1,059

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 MX$16.5K

$2,696 €2,339

-64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.4K

$2,013 €1,747

-61.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,127 MX$37.2K

$7,220 €6,264

-70.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 MX$21.5K

$5,189 €4,502

-76.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

3.39

238.64%

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

Last update for Tapachula: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Tapachula and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Tapachula vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $318 per month, with Tapachula 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

Tapachula vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapachula and Barcelona differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($1,115 vs $2,367 including rent). Tapachula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,673 in Tapachula and $3,550 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Tapachula versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tapachula versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapachula – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,115 in Tapachula versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula 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, Tapachula and Barcelona 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.