Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shakhty Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shakhty

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $969 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,480 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,991 in Shakhty.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 141% more expensive than Shakhty, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shakhty is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$9.38 ₽675

82.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$37.81 ₽2,718

83.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$5.55 ₽399

148.29%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.30 ₽165

20.00%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.12 ₽80.5

149.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.52 ₽37.29

282.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$1.40 ₽101

211.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.47 ₽177

91.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.10 ₽79.1

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.71 ₽51.0

188.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.36 ₽98.0

46.32%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$1.72 ₽124

97.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$10.80 ₽777

74.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$4.84 ₽348

93.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$9.02 ₽648

111.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.81 ₽130

49.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.90 ₽137

23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.98 ₽142

7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.75 ₽197

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.84 ₽60.3

134.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$0.66 ₽47.75

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.39 ₽100

4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.72 ₽51.9

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.95 ₽212

129.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$8.02 ₽576

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.93 ₽67.0

49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.96 ₽141

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.49 ₽34.99

495.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$1.88 ₽135

137.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.33 ₽23.39

521.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$6.28 ₽452

370.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.73 ₽52.6

149.32%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$34.2K ₽2.5M

13.56%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-8.27%

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

$189 €164

$111 ₽7,980

70.49%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$5.79 ₽416

293.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$7.85 ₽564

378.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$35.65 ₽2,563

61.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$5.16 ₽371

109.69%

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

$728 €631

$326 ₽23.4K

123.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$6,863 ₽493.5K

115.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$69.4 ₽4,988

27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$44.27 ₽3,183

-16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$114 ₽8,164

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$108 ₽7,740

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$452 ₽32.5K

247.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$303 ₽21.8K

302.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$766 ₽55.1K

264.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$517 ₽37.2K

282.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$2,625 ₽188.7K

195.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$1,786 ₽128.4K

189.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

15.33

-77.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $452 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $199 per month, with Shakhty 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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shakhty differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $969 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,453 in Shakhty to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $452 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $326 in Shakhty. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shakhty – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in Shakhty versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shakhty but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shakhty 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 Shakhty 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 Shakhty gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.