Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burgas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burgas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,134 in Burgas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,714 in Burgas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,294 in Burgas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than Burgas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Burgas is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.93 BGN 19.85

47.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$41.19 BGN 68.5

66.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.95 BGN 14.89

57.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.55 BGN 4.25

9.02%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.31 BGN 2.18

113.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.65 BGN 1.08

216.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.00 BGN 3.32

123.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.98 BGN 4.96

54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.66 BGN 2.76

-25.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.93 BGN 1.55

118.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.95 BGN 3.24

-1.54%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.36 BGN 5.59

-1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.66 BGN 16.06

90.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.91 BGN 13.16

19.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.53 BGN 19.18

66.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.96 BGN 3.27

34.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.07 BGN 3.44

18.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.01 BGN 3.34

5.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.57 BGN 4.27

10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.44 BGN 2.39

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.31 BGN 2.17

41.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.02 BGN 1.69

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.77 BGN 1.28

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.52 BGN 5.85

102.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.68 BGN 11.12

17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.02 BGN 1.70

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.73 BGN 2.88

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.90 BGN 1.50

231.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$34.91 BGN 58.1

-16.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.21 BGN 2.01

280.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.67 BGN 1.11

208.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.22 BGN 21.99

120.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.54 BGN 2.57

19.48%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.1K BGN 53.5K

21.41%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$26.0K BGN 43.2K

25.95%

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

$188 €162

$93.3 BGN 155

101.35%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$16.36 BGN 27.21

40.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$14.05 BGN 23.37

161.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$30.89 BGN 51.4

85.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.05 BGN 25.03

37.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$8.65 BGN 14.39

29.36%

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

$721 €620

$234 BGN 388

208.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,083 BGN 6,793

268.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.6 BGN 99.1

44.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$42.36 BGN 70.5

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.9 BGN 135

26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$71.6 BGN 119

61.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$508 BGN 845

201.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$386 BGN 643

215.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$885 BGN 1,472

204.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$615 BGN 1,023

227.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,512 BGN 4,179

187.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,817 BGN 3,023

185.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,024 BGN 1,703

130.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.57

-25.82%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burgas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $508 in Burgas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 130% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Burgas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $236 per month, with Burgas 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 Burgas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Burgas differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,134 including rent). Burgas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 130% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $508 in Burgas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $234 in Burgas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,134 in Burgas versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burgas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Burgas 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 Burgas 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 Burgas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.