Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Plzen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Plzen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Plzen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,286 in Plzen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,940 in Plzen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 42% more expensive than in Plzen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Plzen 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$9.54 Kč 202

85.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$46.28 Kč 981

50.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.33 Kč 176

69.99%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.02 Kč 64.1

-7.28%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.01 Kč 42.62

39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.68 Kč 35.49

22.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.73 Kč 57.8

68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.86 Kč 60.5

63.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.17 Kč 24.89

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.59 Kč 33.69

27.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.44 Kč 51.7

-18.85%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.26 Kč 69.1

7.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.66 Kč 268

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.99 Kč 190

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$14.39 Kč 305

32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.77 Kč 37.42

54.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.74 Kč 36.80

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.16 Kč 45.85

-3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.62 Kč 76.8

-24.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.25 Kč 26.56

56.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.22 Kč 25.85

46.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.51 Kč 32.09

-1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 Kč 17.34

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.91 Kč 146

3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.06 Kč 150

11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.12 Kč 23.71

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.62 Kč 34.42

47.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.23 Kč 26.03

144.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$26.32 Kč 558

11.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.07 Kč 43.86

110.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.26 Kč 26.73

69.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$14.28 Kč 303

107.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.66 Kč 35.17

9.64%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$28.3K Kč 600.6K

33.67%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.9K Kč 634.6K

8.12%

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

$189 €166

$254 Kč 5,377

-25.50%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$25.33 Kč 537

-12.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$20.43 Kč 433

81.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$63.1 Kč 1,337

-8.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.14 Kč 300

46.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.38 Kč 220

4.72%

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

$706 €618

$326 Kč 6,917

116.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,778 Kč 186.0K

69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$81.5 Kč 1,726

9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.59 Kč 924

-16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$90.8 Kč 1,924

14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$113 Kč 2,392

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$645 Kč 13.7K

144.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$606 Kč 12.8K

104.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$885 Kč 18.7K

206.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$841 Kč 17.8K

142.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,107 Kč 108.2K

47.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,091 Kč 86.7K

28.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,934 Kč 41.0K

22.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.47

-38.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Plzen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $645 in Plzen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 22% 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 $46.00 in Plzen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $268 per month, with Plzen 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 Plzen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Plzen differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,631 including rent). Plzen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $645 in Plzen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $326 in Plzen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,631 in Plzen versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Plzen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Plzen 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 Plzen 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 Plzen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.