Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Birjand Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Birjand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $528 in Birjand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $833 in Birjand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,139 in Birjand.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 344% more expensive than Birjand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Birjand is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.07 $4.07

332.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$17.08 $17.08

302.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.48 $4.48

206.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.63 $0.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.11 $1.11

148.65%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.46 $0.46

504.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.94 $0.94

118.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.58 $0.58

120.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.52 $0.52

305.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.91 $1.91

3.14%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.18 $1.18

191.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$3.40 $3.40

453.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.17 $3.17

198.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.67 $9.67

96.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.90 $0.90

202.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.41 $1.41

68.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.89 $0.89

133.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.53 $0.53

420.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.52 $0.52

278.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.45 $0.45

297.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.60 $0.60

151.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.23 $0.23

291.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 $1.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.17 $2.17

211.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.22 $0.22

1277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$10.06 $10.06

182.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.34 $0.34

1202.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.27 $0.27

659.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$1.95 $1.95

1404.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.78 $0.78

142.31%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$71.5K $71.5K

-45.78%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$54.1K $54.1K

-40.13%

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

$189 €161

$15.61 $15.61

1108.14%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$2.11 $2.11

952.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$5.59 $5.59

558.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$16.31 $16.31

255.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.37 $12.37

69.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$1.49 $1.49

641.61%

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

$726 €622

$115 $115

533.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,973 $1,973

671.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$22.42 $22.42

293.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$25.09 $25.09

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$108 $108

-5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$69.8 $69.8

70.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$281 $281

443.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$202 $202

502.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$625 $625

347.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$315 $315

543.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,063 $1,063

567.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$554 $554

775.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$5.31 $5.31

45175.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

22.24

-84.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Birjand: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $281 in Birjand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 45176% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Birjand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $105 per month, with Birjand 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 Birjand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Birjand differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $528 including rent). Birjand is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 45176% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $281 in Birjand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $115 in Birjand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 204% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $528 in Birjand versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Birjand but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Birjand 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 Birjand 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 Birjand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.