Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Poprad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Poprad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,537 in Poprad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,289 in Poprad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,042 in Poprad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 52% more expensive than Poprad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Poprad 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$11.36 €9.73

55.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$58.8 €50.4

16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$10.31 €8.82

33.37%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.11 €2.66

-11.25%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.20 €1.88

26.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.73 €1.48

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.11 €1.80

118.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.11 €2.66

47.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.10 €0.94

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.65 €1.42

27.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.04 €1.75

-3.43%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.83 €3.28

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$15.30 €13.10

23.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.31 €6.25

29.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.97 €11.10

46.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.71 €1.46

59.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.94 €1.66

22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.25 €1.93

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.00 €3.43

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.35 €1.16

45.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.75 €1.50

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.56 €1.34

-3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.86 €0.74

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.35 €5.44

6.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$5.92 €5.07

27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.03 €0.89

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.78 €1.52

35.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.77 €1.51

71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$34.91 €29.88

-18.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.89 €1.62

134.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.58 €1.35

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$31.66 €27.10

-7.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.73 €1.48

9.25%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$28.2K €24.1K

37.40%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$30.8K €26.4K

5.00%

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

$189 €161

$235 €201

-19.65%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$24.08 €20.61

-7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$20.10 €17.21

83.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$41.75 €35.74

38.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$21.54 €18.44

-2.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$11.35 €9.72

-2.64%

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

$726 €622

$495 €424

46.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$12.4K €10.6K

23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$72.3 €61.9

22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$39.22 €33.57

-5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$88.3 €75.6

16.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$110 €94.3

8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$707 €606

115.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$499 €427

144.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,062 €909

163.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$840 €719

141.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,579 €3,064

98.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,641 €2,261

83.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,052 €900

128.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.18

-18.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Poprad: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $707 in Poprad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 129% 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 $59.0 in Poprad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $266 per month, with Poprad 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 Poprad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Poprad differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,537 including rent). Poprad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 129% 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 $707 in Poprad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $495 in Poprad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,537 in Poprad versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Poprad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Poprad 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 Poprad 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 Poprad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.