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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,206 in Burgas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,826 in Burgas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,446 in Burgas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 105% more expensive than in Burgas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Burgas is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.22

$14.55 BGN 24.20

28.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.1

$47.64 BGN 79.3

45.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.92

$10.46 BGN 17.40

31.64%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$3.46 BGN 5.75

-10.40%

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

$2.83 €2.45

$1.11 BGN 1.85

154.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$0.77 BGN 1.28

144.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.45

$2.12 BGN 3.53

87.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.92

$3.04 BGN 5.05

49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.74 BGN 2.90

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$0.94 BGN 1.57

129.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.16 BGN 3.59

-18.52%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$3.50 BGN 5.82

46.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.48

$9.17 BGN 15.25

94.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.36

$8.22 BGN 13.67

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.44

$11.41 BGN 18.98

76.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$2.24 BGN 3.73

45.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$2.10 BGN 3.49

6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.03 BGN 3.37

28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$2.59 BGN 4.30

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.35 BGN 2.25

63.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.40 BGN 2.32

51.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.94 BGN 1.57

64.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.76 BGN 1.27

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.36

$3.56 BGN 5.93

106.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$7.11 BGN 11.83

13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.01 BGN 1.68

52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$1.91 BGN 3.17

46.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.69

$0.94 BGN 1.56

230.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.39

$34.76 BGN 57.8

-25.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.83

$1.82 BGN 3.02

79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.28

$0.79 BGN 1.31

87.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.67

$12.49 BGN 20.78

174.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.69 BGN 2.82

2.37%

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

$36.4K €31.5K

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

18.16%

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

$30.5K €26.4K

$23.1K BGN 38.4K

32.38%

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

$187 €162

$109 BGN 181

72.36%

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

$15.14 €13.11

$15.21 BGN 25.30

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.62

$12.26 BGN 20.40

207.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.43

$39.75 BGN 66.1

40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.79

$14.71 BGN 24.47

16.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.88

$8.98 BGN 14.93

27.06%

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

$997 €863

$232 BGN 386

329.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$15.4K BGN 25.6K

7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.2

$60.4 BGN 100

53.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.69

$29.78 BGN 49.54

38.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.3

$73.5 BGN 122

51.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$77.4 BGN 129

61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,478

$534 BGN 888

219.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,113

$435 BGN 724

195.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,221

$819 BGN 1,363

213.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,681

$653 BGN 1,087

197.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,620

$2,612 BGN 4,346

192.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,473

$1,881 BGN 3,129

174.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,033

$1,059 BGN 1,762

121.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.25

-2.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Burgas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $534 in Burgas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 122% 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 $48.00 in Burgas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $240 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,206 including rent). Burgas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $534 in Burgas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $232 in Burgas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Burgas versus $2,476 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 105% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.