Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shakhty

For one person, living is cheaper in Shakhty: $1,073 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Shakhty, Russia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Shakhty
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,073
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Shakhty

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 Shakhty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,073 in Shakhty.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Shakhty $1,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,683 in Shakhty.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Shakhty $1,683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,293 in Shakhty.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Shakhty $2,293

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than in Shakhty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Shakhty is 21% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$11.55 ₽932
52.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$37.49 ₽3,024
80.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$6.29 ₽507
115.10%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$2.71 ₽218
17.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$1.12 ₽90.2
159.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.62 ₽50.0
204.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$1.77 ₽143
126.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$3.06 ₽247
48.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.12 ₽90.1
16.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.75 ₽60.4
169.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.38 ₽111
34.06%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$1.56 ₽125
209.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$11.22 ₽905
49.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$5.41 ₽436
68.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$11.57 ₽933
69.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$1.78 ₽144
67.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.79 ₽144
12.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$1.75 ₽141
54.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$2.78 ₽224
0.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.78 ₽63.3
167.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$0.62 ₽49.87
233.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.30 ₽105
12.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.71 ₽57.3
32.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$3.02 ₽244
127.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$7.73 ₽623
2.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.11 ₽89.9
27.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$1.99 ₽161
27.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.53 ₽42.60
492.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$27.94 ₽2,253
-8.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$2.36 ₽191
26.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.38 ₽30.39
292.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$5.90 ₽476
465.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.82 ₽66.2
119.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$52.2K ₽4.2M
-36.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$39.9K ₽3.2M
-20.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$123 ₽9,905
46.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$6.27 ₽506
120.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$8.60 ₽693
291.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$36.16 ₽2,916
42.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$23.72 ₽1,913
-32.72%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$6.28 ₽506
75.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$357 ₽28.8K
156.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$6,390 ₽515.4K
157.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$82.4 ₽6,642
5.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$53.0 ₽4,275
-27.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$121 ₽9,776
-12.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$106 ₽8,524
13.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$481 ₽38.8K
253.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$315 ₽25.4K
330.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$900 ₽72.5K
189.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$584 ₽47.1K
253.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$2,280 ₽183.9K
203.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$1,516 ₽122.3K
238.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Shakhty
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
21.45
-84.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Shakhty
$315 76.7% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Shakhty
$209 35.2% $113
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Shakhty
$166 38.2% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Shakhty
$138 39.6% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Shakhty
$163 3.2% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Shakhty
$49 33.7% $25
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Shakhty
$34 29.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $481 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $37 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $209 per month, with Shakhty cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇷🇺 Shakhty
🕒 Local time
23:10 11:10 PM
01:10 1:10 AM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
235,492
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Shakhty 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Shakhty

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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Shakhty?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,073 in Shakhty, so Shakhty is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Shakhty?
You’d need roughly $3,679 in Barcelona and $1,610 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Shakhty?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $481 in Shakhty. 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 Shakhty?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $357 in Shakhty. 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 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,073 in Shakhty versus $2,453 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Shakhty?
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.

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