Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arzamas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arzamas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 145% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Arzamas is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$10.66 ₽901

75.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$31.71 ₽2,679

119.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.90 ₽583

99.57%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.42 ₽205

28.10%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.04 ₽87.6

172.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.56 ₽47.00

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.91 ₽162

108.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.14 ₽265

44.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.17 ₽98.6

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.75 ₽63.3

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.25 ₽105

40.80%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.37 ₽116

274.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.29 ₽869

73.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.12 ₽433

88.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.12 ₽855

99.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.70 ₽144

91.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.59 ₽134

40.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.65 ₽139

57.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.76 ₽234

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.69 ₽58.0

220.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.61 ₽51.8

247.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.41 ₽119

9.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.66 ₽55.9

43.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.16 ₽267

132.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.78 ₽657

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.05 ₽89.1

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.05 ₽173

36.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.49 ₽41.65

534.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.40 ₽203

36.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.28 ₽23.96

428.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$6.20 ₽524

452.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.85 ₽72.1

103.53%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$30.0K ₽2.5M

21.07%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

-6.68%

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

$187 €163

$114 ₽9,661

63.60%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$6.21 ₽524

143.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$8.09 ₽684

365.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.88 ₽3,285

43.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$22.50 ₽1,901

-24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.12 ₽432

122.85%

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

$997 €869

$289 ₽24.4K

244.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,150 ₽604.1K

131.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$65.5 ₽5,533

41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$56.6 ₽4,782

-27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$112 ₽9,447

-0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$94.1 ₽7,946

33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$298 ₽25.2K

473.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$317 ₽26.8K

305.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$481 ₽40.6K

433.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$568 ₽48.0K

242.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,219 ₽187.5K

244.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,399 ₽118.2K

269.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-84.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $197 per month, with Arzamas 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

Barcelona vs Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Arzamas differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,011 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,516 in Arzamas 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,476 per month in Barcelona versus $1,011 in Arzamas – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Arzamas versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arzamas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Arzamas 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, Barcelona and Arzamas 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 Arzamas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.