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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $997 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,403 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,808 in Korolyov.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 133% more expensive than in Korolyov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Korolyov is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.84 ₽694

99.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$20.46 ₽1,607

240.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.27 ₽414

168.69%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.04 ₽160

37.25%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.86 ₽67.2

226.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.39 ₽30.70

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.15 ₽326

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.85 ₽145

153.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.19 ₽93.7

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.42 ₽32.80

383.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.31 ₽103

51.15%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.62 ₽127

115.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.81 ₽928

55.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.49 ₽431

79.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.98 ₽627

139.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.94 ₽152

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.69 ₽132

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.37 ₽186

-12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.99 ₽313

-31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.41 ₽32.19

378.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.84 ₽66.0

113.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.65 ₽129

-10.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 ₽41.12

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.46 ₽193

189.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.46 ₽822

-24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.08 ₽84.8

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.47 ₽115

62.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.75 ₽58.7

301.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$22.46 ₽1,764

30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.58 ₽202

68.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.47 ₽36.97

353.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.91 ₽622

274.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.77 ₽60.7

136.36%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$37.6K ₽3.0M

0.64%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.6K ₽1.6M

57.55%

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

$189 €166

$123 ₽9,683

53.37%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$5.53 ₽434

303.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$7.91 ₽621

369.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$31.58 ₽2,481

83.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$15.51 ₽1,219

33.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.34 ₽420

103.56%

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

$706 €618

$691 ₽54.3K

2.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$14.4K ₽1.1M

2.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$57.9 ₽4,547

54.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$25.60 ₽2,011

42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$38.34 ₽3,012

171.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$57.6 ₽4,523

107.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$450 ₽35.3K

251.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$367 ₽28.8K

237.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$698 ₽54.8K

288.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$488 ₽38.3K

317.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,644 ₽207.7K

184.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,315 ₽181.9K

126.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,055 ₽82.8K

124.16%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $450 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 124% 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 $20.00 in Korolyov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $209 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 133% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $997 including rent). Korolyov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% 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 $450 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $691 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 $997 in Korolyov versus $2,320 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 133% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.