Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,314 in Tulum versus $2,434 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,221 in Tulum versus $3,473 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,127 in Tulum versus $4,512 in Barcelona.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 46% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 4% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 MX$145

$18.80 €16.09

-54.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 MX$995

$69.5 €59.4

-15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 MX$153

$14.08 €12.05

-35.94%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$71.7

$3.12 €2.66

35.58%

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

$1.19 MX$20.09

$2.91 €2.49

-59.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.03

$1.87 €1.60

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.3

$4.00 €3.42

-24.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$64.9

$4.64 €3.97

-17.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.73

$1.19 €1.02

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 MX$36.65

$2.13 €1.82

1.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.44

$1.84 €1.57

1.09%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$34.33

$5.13 €4.39

-60.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 MX$98.4

$16.39 €14.02

-64.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 MX$141

$9.71 €8.31

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 MX$159

$19.65 €16.81

-52.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MX$45.49

$3.13 €2.68

-14.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.36

$2.18 €1.87

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.33

$2.46 €2.11

-34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.11

$2.77 €2.37

-42.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$41.93

$2.12 €1.82

16.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.04

$2.23 €1.90

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$24.75

$1.49 €1.27

-2.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$14.49

$0.91 €0.78

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 MX$78.6

$7.26 €6.21

-36.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 MX$153

$8.29 €7.09

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.77

$1.54 €1.32

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.71

$2.68 €2.30

-47.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 MX$24.70

$3.07 €2.63

-52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 MX$48.64

$3.34 €2.86

-14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 MX$43.52

$1.88 €1.61

36.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MX$102

$34.98 €29.92

-82.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$25.54

$1.74 €1.49

-13.22%

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

$22.9K MX$388.8K

$36.5K €31.2K

-37.17%

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

$26.0K MX$440.0K

$31.5K €27.0K

-17.61%

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

$113 MX$1,912

$183 €156

-38.29%

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

$17.77 MX$301

$15.70 €13.43

13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 MX$643

$36.73 €31.42

3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 MX$621

$53.5 €45.76

-31.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 MX$119

$11.51 €9.85

-39.01%

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

$272 MX$4,615

$952 €815

-71.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,141 MX$53.2K

$16.2K €13.8K

-80.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.35 MX$752

$82.5 €70.5

-46.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 MX$586

$40.47 €34.62

-14.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,770

$108 €92.2

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 MX$1,075

$125 €107

-49.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MX$10.8K

$1,668 €1,426

-61.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MX$9,541

$1,288 €1,101

-56.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 MX$27.6K

$2,663 €2,278

-38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 MX$23.4K

$1,904 €1,628

-27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,409 MX$57.8K

$7,513 €6,427

-54.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,892 MX$32.1K

$5,178 €4,429

-63.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$830 MX$14.1K

$2,451 €2,096

-66.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

3.12

246.15%

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

Last update for Tulum: August 18, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Tulum and $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 195% 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: $59.0 in Tulum vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $328 per month, with Tulum 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

Tulum vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Barcelona differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,314 vs $2,434 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Barcelona. 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: $638 in Tulum versus $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $272 in Tulum versus $952 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,314 in Tulum versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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, Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.