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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $717 in Kardzhali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,175 in Kardzhali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Kardzhali.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than Kardzhali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Kardzhali is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.09 BGN 15.19

93.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$26.92 BGN 44.96

155.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.02 BGN 15.06

52.44%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.16 BGN 1.93

137.93%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.86 BGN 1.44

223.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.47 BGN 2.45

39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.66 BGN 2.78

177.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.32 BGN 2.21

247.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.81 BGN 3.02

-29.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.83 BGN 1.39

154.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.81 BGN 3.02

8.84%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.15 BGN 5.25

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$12.44 BGN 20.78

51.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$8.74 BGN 14.60

8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.27 BGN 22.16

43.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.83 BGN 3.05

48.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.89 BGN 3.15

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.94 BGN 3.23

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.15 BGN 3.60

28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.88 BGN 1.47

123.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.06 BGN 1.76

68.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.85 BGN 1.41

77.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.71 BGN 1.19

26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.73 BGN 6.23

81.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$4.63 BGN 7.73

63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.10 BGN 1.84

30.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.77 BGN 2.95

36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.30 BGN 0.51

910.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$9.02 BGN 15.07

214.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.05 BGN 1.75

321.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.72 BGN 1.20

184.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.96 BGN 23.32

110.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.49 BGN 2.48

26.85%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.3K BGN 54.0K

19.87%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$29.3K BGN 49.0K

10.37%

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

$189 €161

$62.0 BGN 104

204.08%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$18.05 BGN 30.15

23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$5.99 BGN 10.01

514.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$29.68 BGN 49.56

95.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.01 BGN 25.06

39.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$9.24 BGN 15.43

19.59%

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

$726 €622

$635 BGN 1,060

14.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,240 BGN 15.4K

64.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$29.92 BGN 49.96

195.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$17.56 BGN 29.33

110.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$46.39 BGN 77.5

121.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$90.0 BGN 150

32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$118 BGN 197

1191.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$116 BGN 194

950.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$237 BGN 396

1078.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$205 BGN 343

888.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,207 BGN 2,015

487.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$875 BGN 1,461

454.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,341 BGN 2,240

79.23%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $118 in Kardzhali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% 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 $27.00 in Kardzhali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $241 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 227% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $717 including rent). Kardzhali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 79% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $118 in Kardzhali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $635 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 $717 in Kardzhali versus $2,341 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 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.