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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,591 in Plzen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,308 in Plzen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,025 in Plzen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 49% more expensive than Plzen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Plzen 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$9.25 Kč 193

90.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$45.92 Kč 957

49.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.42 Kč 176

66.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.16 Kč 65.9

-12.03%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.91 Kč 39.80

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.67 Kč 34.89

23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.77 Kč 57.7

61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.74 Kč 57.1

68.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.18 Kč 24.57

5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.56 Kč 32.44

30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.33 Kč 48.54

-17.60%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.21 Kč 67.0

3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.57 Kč 262

46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.14 Kč 191

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$14.24 Kč 297

34.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.72 Kč 35.90

53.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.77 Kč 36.83

38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.25 Kč 46.96

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.71 Kč 77.3

-23.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.31 Kč 27.30

55.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.23 Kč 25.69

50.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.45 Kč 30.25

1.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.81 Kč 16.99

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.95 Kč 145

2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.04 Kč 147

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.16 Kč 24.19

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.56 Kč 32.44

48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.22 Kč 25.50

144.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$26.44 Kč 551

10.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.06 Kč 42.87

123.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.22 Kč 25.46

69.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$13.92 Kč 290

109.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.73 Kč 36.11

6.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.2K Kč 588.4K

38.23%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.1K Kč 627.7K

8.61%

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

$188 €162

$260 Kč 5,422

-27.78%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$25.48 Kč 531

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$20.43 Kč 426

79.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$64.0 Kč 1,334

-10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.36 Kč 299

44.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.23 Kč 213

9.38%

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

$721 €621

$328 Kč 6,837

119.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,886 Kč 185.3K

69.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$83.6 Kč 1,743

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.33 Kč 903

-14.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$91.1 Kč 1,899

12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$114 Kč 2,366

2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$671 Kč 14.0K

128.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$607 Kč 12.7K

101.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$876 Kč 18.3K

207.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$850 Kč 17.7K

136.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,838 Kč 100.9K

49.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,939 Kč 82.1K

31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,989 Kč 41.5K

18.59%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Plzen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $671 in Plzen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 $46.00 in Plzen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $267 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 49% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,591 including rent). Plzen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 $671 in Plzen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $328 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 $1,591 in Plzen versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 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 49% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.