Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elblag Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elblag

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,547 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,223 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,900 in Elblag.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than Elblag, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Elblag 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$10.91 zł 39.87

56.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$29.42 zł 108

135.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.69 zł 28.09

79.19%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.31 zł 15.75

-35.96%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.11 zł 7.71

32.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.91 zł 6.98

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.28 zł 11.99

32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.73 zł 17.29

0.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.18 zł 4.32

9.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.42 zł 5.20

44.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.77 zł 6.47

12.43%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.63 zł 13.28

-6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.29 zł 37.62

82.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.88 zł 25.14

36.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.36 zł 52.5

33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.24 zł 4.55

117.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.78 zł 6.51

31.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.02 zł 7.38

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.75 zł 13.70

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.04 zł 3.80

89.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.24 zł 4.53

45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.47 zł 5.36

-1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.69 zł 2.51

24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.43 zł 16.18

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.93 zł 25.33

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.44 zł 5.26

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.87 zł 6.85

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.07 zł 3.92

172.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$26.04 zł 95.2

10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.72 zł 9.95

63.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.02 zł 3.73

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$13.83 zł 50.6

113.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.71 zł 6.27

6.43%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.0K zł 120.6K

17.69%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.0K zł 98.7K

22.57%

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

$189 €163

$362 zł 1,323

-47.72%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.06 zł 36.77

126.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$15.06 zł 55.1

149.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$35.12 zł 128

64.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$13.54 zł 49.50

53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.54 zł 23.90

65.44%

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

$728 €628

$589 zł 2,154

23.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$2,088 zł 7,630

607.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$98.9 zł 362

-10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$47.50 zł 174

-22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$95.7 zł 350

6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$111 zł 404

4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$683 zł 2,497

129.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$479 zł 1,750

154.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$974 zł 3,561

186.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$825 zł 3,017

139.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,318 zł 8,472

234.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,323 zł 8,489

122.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,397 zł 5,107

67.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-51.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Elblag: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $683 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 68% 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 $29.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $244 per month, with Elblag 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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Elblag differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,547 including rent). Elblag is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 68% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $683 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $589 in Elblag. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,547 in Elblag versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elblag but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Elblag 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 Elblag 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 Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.