Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kardzhali Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kardzhali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $716 in Kardzhali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,167 in Kardzhali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,619 in Kardzhali.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 230% more expensive than in Kardzhali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kardzhali is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$8.62 BGN 14.34

98.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$26.60 BGN 44.25

155.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.63 BGN 14.35

58.05%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.20 BGN 1.99

131.67%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.85 BGN 1.41

231.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.45 BGN 2.41

35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.69 BGN 2.81

162.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.28 BGN 2.12

260.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.81 BGN 3.00

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.76 BGN 1.27

180.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.79 BGN 2.97

11.17%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.13 BGN 5.22

7.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.46 BGN 20.73

52.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$8.66 BGN 14.41

10.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.24 BGN 22.02

41.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.83 BGN 3.05

44.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.90 BGN 3.15

23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.00 BGN 3.33

4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.16 BGN 3.59

26.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.89 BGN 1.48

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.02 BGN 1.69

77.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.90 BGN 1.49

67.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.72 BGN 1.20

23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.86 BGN 6.43

75.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.67 BGN 7.77

69.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.04 BGN 1.74

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.80 BGN 2.99

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.28 BGN 0.46

939.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$8.63 BGN 14.35

232.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.04 BGN 1.72

340.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.68 BGN 1.13

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$14.29 BGN 23.77

100.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.53 BGN 2.55

18.95%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.3K BGN 53.8K

21.60%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.1K BGN 48.4K

11.72%

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

$187 €162

$62.3 BGN 104

199.81%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.87 BGN 29.73

24.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$5.91 BGN 9.83

515.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$29.08 BGN 48.38

97.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.74 BGN 24.52

40.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$9.66 BGN 16.06

11.49%

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

$725 €628

$639 BGN 1,063

13.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$9,291 BGN 15.5K

63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$29.63 BGN 49.29

196.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.61 BGN 29.29

109.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$47.63 BGN 79.2

117.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$88.8 BGN 148

33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$116 BGN 192

1216.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$119 BGN 199

927.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$239 BGN 397

1042.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$208 BGN 347

852.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,144 BGN 1,903

552.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$855 BGN 1,423

513.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,289 BGN 2,145

85.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.1

9.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $116 in Kardzhali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 86% 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 $27.00 in Kardzhali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $240 per month, with Kardzhali 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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kardzhali differ by about 230% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $716 including rent). Kardzhali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $116 in Kardzhali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $639 in Kardzhali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $716 in Kardzhali versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kardzhali but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kardzhali 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 Kardzhali 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 Kardzhali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.