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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $964 in Shakhty.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Shakhty.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Shakhty.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 140% more expensive than in Shakhty, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Shakhty is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.08

$9.66 ₽751

77.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.1

$37.46 ₽2,912

88.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$5.56 ₽432

152.16%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.30 ₽178

20.87%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.09 ₽84.4

155.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.48 ₽37.05

327.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$1.40 ₽109

222.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$2.48 ₽193

88.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.10 ₽85.4

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.70 ₽54.8

205.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.37 ₽106

40.88%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$1.77 ₽138

97.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.25

$10.65 ₽828

73.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$4.79 ₽373

98.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.58

$8.88 ₽690

112.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.81 ₽141

44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.81 ₽141

29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.01 ₽156

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.75 ₽214

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.85 ₽66.0

130.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.66 ₽51.4

180.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.37 ₽106

11.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.67 ₽52.1

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$2.90 ₽226

133.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$8.43 ₽655

-7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.97 ₽75.3

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.92 ₽149

20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.49 ₽37.79

512.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.94 ₽151

136.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.35 ₽27.58

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.93

$6.22 ₽484

375.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.72 ₽56.1

150.00%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$34.9K ₽2.7M

10.18%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$35.8K ₽2.8M

-7.04%

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

$185 €162

$109 ₽8,436

70.32%

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

$22.68 €19.90

$6.11 ₽475

271.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.27

$7.83 ₽609

369.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$36.25 ₽2,817

59.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.59

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.50

$5.15 ₽400

110.29%

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

$727 €638

$325 ₽25.3K

123.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$7,037 ₽547.0K

109.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$69.3 ₽5,385

26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.78

$44.33 ₽3,445

-15.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.6

$114 ₽8,895

-9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$109 ₽8,468

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,369

$438 ₽34.1K

256.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$309 ₽24.1K

294.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,406

$754 ₽58.6K

263.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,747

$514 ₽40.0K

287.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,571

$2,268 ₽176.3K

230.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,568

$1,303 ₽101.2K

299.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,066

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $438 in Shakhty. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Shakhty for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $198 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $964 including rent). Shakhty is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,445 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $438 in Shakhty. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $325 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 $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Shakhty versus $2,316 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 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.