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Barcelona vs Mexico City

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Mexico City, MX, you'd need

$45,956 / year

Mexico City, MX is 39% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Mexico City, MX vs Barcelona, ES)

  • Housing-52%
  • Food & groceries-35%
  • Transport-38%
  • Utilities-27%
  • Healthcare-19%
  • Goods & services-31%

â–¤ Full comparison

Barcelona, ESMexico City, MX
Cost of living
Overall cost index10564
Housing12560
Food10065
Transport8050
Utilities11080
Healthcare8065
Goods & services10270
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,350/mo$800/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,000/mo$550/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,700/mo$1,600/mo
Buy price / m² centre$5,500$3,200
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$951$1,553
Inexpensive meal$15$5
Monthly transit pass$60$20
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)47%35%
VAT / sales tax21%16%
Social security (employee)6.4%—
Corporate tax25%30%
Capital gains28%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$1,900/mo$700/mo
Minimum wage$1,300/mo$420/mo
GDP per capita$34,000$12,000
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaYesYes
English proficiencyModerateLow
Coworking spaces8070
Time zoneUTC+1UTC-6
Quality of life
Safety index5540
Healthcare index8068
Pollution index5075
Internet speed200 Mbps80 Mbps
Walkability9068
Public transport8870
Family-friendly6660
Tap waterSafe to drinkUse caution
Health insurance—$80/mo
Life expectancy83 yr75 yr
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+10 °C+14 °C
July avg+25 °C+17 °C
Sunny days / year250240
Rainfall / year640 mm850 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Spain vs Mexico. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

? Frequently asked questions

Is Barcelona cheaper than Mexico City?

Mexico City is about 39% cheaper than Barcelona overall — its cost-of-living index is 64 versus 105 for Barcelona.

How much do you need to earn in Mexico City to live like in Barcelona?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Barcelona is worth about $45,956 in Mexico City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Barcelona or Mexico City?

Mexico has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 47% in Spain.

â—· More comparisons from Barcelona

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.