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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $976 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,520 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,063 in Shakhty.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Shakhty is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$9.58 ₽817

92.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$36.51 ₽3,112

90.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$6.21 ₽529

126.25%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.28 ₽194

36.40%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.08 ₽91.7

174.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.57 ₽48.35

242.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$1.76 ₽150

126.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.73 ₽232

69.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.16 ₽98.8

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.79 ₽67.1

167.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.24 ₽106

47.58%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.64 ₽140

214.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$9.81 ₽836

79.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$4.49 ₽383

111.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$8.91 ₽759

123.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.51 ₽128

109.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.69 ₽144

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.96 ₽167

33.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.76 ₽235

3.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.73 ₽62.0

197.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.56 ₽47.70

276.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.43 ₽122

13.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.68 ₽58.0

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$2.71 ₽231

164.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$6.83 ₽582

21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.97 ₽82.4

54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.17 ₽185

26.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.53 ₽45.58

492.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.98 ₽169

62.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.29 ₽24.95

420.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$5.83 ₽497

504.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.82 ₽69.8

113.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$28.2K ₽2.4M

29.86%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-9.74%

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

$187 €161

$107 ₽9,128

74.73%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$6.13 ₽523

146.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$7.18 ₽612

423.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$35.69 ₽3,042

55.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

$23.10 ₽1,969

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$6.44 ₽549

81.83%

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

$1,011 €869

$316 ₽26.9K

219.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$6,161 ₽525.1K

177.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$74.7 ₽6,368

22.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$51.4 ₽4,379

-20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$100 ₽8,531

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$86.5 ₽7,370

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$435 ₽37.1K

291.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$278 ₽23.7K

367.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$702 ₽59.8K

268.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$512 ₽43.6K

276.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$2,208 ₽188.2K

250.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$1,383 ₽117.9K

289.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-84.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $435 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $189 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 154% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $976 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,464 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $435 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $316 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 $37.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Shakhty versus $2,482 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 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.