Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samsun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samsun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Samsun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,508 in Samsun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,005 in Samsun.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Samsun is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$7.59 ₺360

125.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$25.65 ₺1,218

165.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$9.13 ₺434

49.40%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.71 ₺129

2.58%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$1.24 ₺58.9

127.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.24 ₺11.30

716.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.78 ₺132

59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.03 ₺144

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.06 ₺50.1

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.36 ₺17.32

491.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.91 ₺186

-49.10%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.70 ₺80.7

98.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$8.64 ₺411

119.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$9.98 ₺474

-4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$18.81 ₺894

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.24 ₺59.0

113.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.17 ₺55.6

100.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.92 ₺43.58

127.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.25 ₺59.5

118.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.62 ₺29.36

216.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.62 ₺29.30

191.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.78 ₺37.16

93.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.71 ₺33.90

25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$2.05 ₺97.6

230.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

$9.61 ₺456

-17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.98 ₺94.3

-30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.56 ₺122

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.56 ₺26.52

419.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$9.60 ₺456

198.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$2.26 ₺107

102.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.61 ₺28.76

234.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$4.68 ₺222

513.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.13 ₺53.5

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$43.7K ₺2.1M

-10.02%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$49.4K ₺2.3M

-34.25%

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

$187 €162

$49.84 ₺2,368

274.46%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$10.88 ₺517

104.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$11.45 ₺544

217.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$83.8 ₺3,981

-31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$5.75 ₺273

87.30%

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

$725 €629

$513 ₺24.4K

41.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,833 ₺182.1K

295.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$38.57 ₺1,832

127.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$44.57 ₺2,118

-17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$90.4 ₺4,296

14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$43.60 ₺2,071

171.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$498 ₺23.7K

206.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$335 ₺15.9K

266.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$713 ₺33.9K

282.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$518 ₺24.6K

282.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$759 ₺36.0K

884.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$421 ₺20.0K

1144.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$971 ₺46.1K

146.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

43.33

-92.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samsun: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $498 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 146% 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 $26.00 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $241 per month, with Samsun 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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Samsun differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,012 including rent). Samsun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $498 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $513 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Samsun versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samsun but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Samsun 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 Samsun 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 Samsun 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.