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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,147 in Burgas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,731 in Burgas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,315 in Burgas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than in Burgas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Burgas is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$11.85 BGN 19.71

49.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$40.52 BGN 67.4

71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.67 BGN 14.42

63.32%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.45 BGN 4.08

14.29%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.38 BGN 2.29

103.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.66 BGN 1.09

212.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.08 BGN 3.46

121.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.87 BGN 4.77

63.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.63 BGN 2.72

-24.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 BGN 1.57

115.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.90 BGN 3.15

4.21%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.39 BGN 5.63

2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$9.69 BGN 16.12

89.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$7.81 BGN 13.00

25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$11.38 BGN 18.92

68.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.89 BGN 3.14

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.11 BGN 3.51

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.07 BGN 3.45

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.48 BGN 4.12

10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.51 BGN 2.51

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.37 BGN 2.27

30.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.02 BGN 1.69

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 BGN 1.39

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$3.63 BGN 6.03

96.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$7.04 BGN 11.70

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 BGN 1.65

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.79 BGN 2.99

33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.86 BGN 1.43

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$36.00 BGN 59.9

-18.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.22 BGN 2.04

257.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.71 BGN 1.18

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$13.21 BGN 21.97

124.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.48 BGN 2.46

22.97%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.8K BGN 54.5K

15.68%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.8K BGN 42.9K

25.68%

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

$189 €165

$95.6 BGN 159

97.83%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$16.53 BGN 27.49

34.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$13.72 BGN 22.82

170.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$30.39 BGN 50.6

90.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$15.57 BGN 25.90

32.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$9.10 BGN 15.15

19.45%

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

$706 €618

$238 BGN 395

197.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,104 BGN 6,827

262.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$60.4 BGN 100

48.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$41.12 BGN 68.4

-10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$83.5 BGN 139

24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$70.8 BGN 118

68.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$512 BGN 852

208.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$386 BGN 642

220.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$869 BGN 1,445

212.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$612 BGN 1,018

233.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$2,594 BGN 4,316

190.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,864 BGN 3,102

180.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,021 BGN 1,698

131.56%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Burgas: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $512 in Burgas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 132% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Burgas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,147 including rent). Burgas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $512 in Burgas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $238 in Burgas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,147 in Burgas versus $2,320 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 102% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.