Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Korolyov Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Korolyov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,030 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,441 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,852 in Korolyov.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 130% more expensive than Korolyov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Korolyov is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$8.93 ₽652

96.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$20.26 ₽1,479

237.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.31 ₽388

164.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.99 ₽145

39.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.91 ₽66.1

207.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 ₽26.59

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.12 ₽301

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.86 ₽136

147.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.13 ₽82.7

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.45 ₽32.59

351.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.30 ₽94.8

47.69%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.60 ₽117

106.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$12.07 ₽881

52.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.21 ₽380

82.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.83 ₽572

144.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.88 ₽137

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.62 ₽118

51.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.27 ₽166

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.99 ₽291

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.40 ₽29.14

410.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.81 ₽59.1

128.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.63 ₽119

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 ₽40.93

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.49 ₽181

186.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.17 ₽815

-29.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.08 ₽79.1

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.48 ₽108

56.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.74 ₽54.0

302.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$22.25 ₽1,624

31.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.48 ₽181

85.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.44 ₽32.46

370.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.21 ₽600

255.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.75 ₽54.7

145.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.9K ₽2.8M

0.42%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.1K ₽1.5M

62.72%

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

$188 €162

$126 ₽9,227

48.58%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$5.63 ₽411

307.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$8.10 ₽591

353.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$32.27 ₽2,356

77.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.22 ₽1,111

36.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.54 ₽404

101.99%

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

$721 €620

$712 ₽51.9K

1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$14.6K ₽1.1M

2.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$57.3 ₽4,183

50.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$25.55 ₽1,865

45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$38.45 ₽2,806

165.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$56.8 ₽4,147

103.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$466 ₽34.0K

228.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$368 ₽26.8K

231.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$702 ₽51.2K

284.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$487 ₽35.6K

313.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,766 ₽201.9K

161.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,540 ₽185.4K

104.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,114 ₽81.3K

111.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-77.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $466 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 112% 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 $20.00 in Korolyov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $208 per month, with Korolyov 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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Korolyov differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,030 including rent). Korolyov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 112% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $466 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $712 in Korolyov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Korolyov versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov 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 Korolyov 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 Korolyov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.