Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samsun

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $940 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Samsun, Turkey
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Samsun
🇹🇷 Turkey
$940
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Samsun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Samsun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $940 in Samsun.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Samsun $940

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Samsun.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Samsun $1,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,321 in Samsun.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Samsun $2,321

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than in Samsun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Samsun is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$10.06 ₺502
74.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$59.3 ₺2,961
13.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$10.45 ₺522
29.47%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.97 ₺198
-19.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.84 ₺41.91
246.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.29 ₺14.38
551.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$1.86 ₺92.7
115.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$2.03 ₺101
123.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.17 ₺58.5
11.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.94 ₺96.8
4.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.73 ₺136
-32.23%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$2.44 ₺122
97.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$8.20 ₺409
104.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$5.53 ₺276
64.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$26.33 ₺1,315
-25.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.40 ₺120
24.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.34 ₺117
-13.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.46 ₺72.9
84.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$1.04 ₺51.9
169.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.44 ₺21.91
375.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.34 ₺16.82
508.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.82 ₺40.84
78.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.68 ₺33.76
38.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$2.16 ₺108
218.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$8.79 ₺439
-10.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.61 ₺80.4
-12.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.28 ₺114
11.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.60 ₺30.20
423.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$11.88 ₺593
114.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$2.03 ₺101
47.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.63 ₺31.28
136.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$6.33 ₺316
427.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.29 ₺64.2
39.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$41.2K ₺2.1M
-19.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$39.0K ₺1.9M
-18.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$87.1 ₺4,351
107.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$12.43 ₺621
11.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$12.50 ₺624
169.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$30.67 ₺1,532
67.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$5.89 ₺294
170.97%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$4.05 ₺202
171.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$256 ₺12.8K
258.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$23.82 ₺1,189
265.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$30.41 ₺1,518
26.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$69.7 ₺3,479
51.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$60.4 ₺3,018
98.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$354 ₺17.7K
379.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$246 ₺12.3K
450.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$738 ₺36.9K
252.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$612 ₺30.6K
236.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$973 ₺48.6K
610.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$664 ₺33.2K
671.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Samsun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$934 ₺46.7K
136.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
49
-93.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Samsun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Samsun
$246 81.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Samsun
$264 18.1% $58
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Samsun
$177 33.8% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Samsun
$112 50.8% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Samsun
$83 47.5% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Samsun
$39 47.3% $35
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Samsun
$19 59.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $354 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.4 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $59 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $264 per month, with Samsun cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇹🇷 Samsun
🕒 Local time
23:15 11:15 PM
01:15 1:15 AM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
1,295,927
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Samsun 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Samsun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Samsun?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $940 in Samsun, so Samsun is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Samsun?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Samsun?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $354 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Samsun?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $256 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Samsun?
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.
Is Barcelona or Samsun safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Samsun are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Samsun?
Expats usually find Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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