Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shchelkovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shchelkovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,789 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,436 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 105% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shchelkovo is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$12.54 ₽909

36.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$57.4 ₽4,156

20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.28 ₽455

119.43%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.32 ₽241

-16.87%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.45 ₽105

92.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.63 ₽45.57

215.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.41 ₽102

209.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.37 ₽317

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.28 ₽92.5

0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.90 ₽65.2

127.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.77 ₽128

12.43%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.94 ₽141

74.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.01 ₽942

44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.04 ₽438

54.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.16 ₽881

57.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.94 ₽140

39.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.13 ₽154

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.31 ₽167

-8.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.05 ₽293

-29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.03 ₽74.9

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.79 ₽57.3

127.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.69 ₽122

-14.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.82 ₽59.3

4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.12 ₽226

117.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.76 ₽635

-9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.07 ₽77.8

29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.42 ₽175

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.49 ₽35.85

495.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.53 ₽183

76.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.48 ₽34.92

327.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.11 ₽587

264.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.81 ₽58.8

124.69%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

1.81%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$37.3K ₽2.7M

-11.26%

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

$189 €163

$148 ₽10.7K

28.16%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.16 ₽591

179.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$7.91 ₽573

375.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$34.92 ₽2,530

65.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.49 ₽470

66.72%

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

$728 €628

$318 ₽23.0K

129.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,999 ₽507.1K

111.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$87.9 ₽6,372

0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$53.1 ₽3,851

-30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$132 ₽9,573

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$165 ₽12.0K

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$437 ₽31.7K

259.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$308 ₽22.3K

295.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$752 ₽54.5K

271.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$509 ₽36.9K

287.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,513 ₽182.1K

208.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,590 ₽115.2K

225.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

24.39

-86.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $437 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $243 per month, with Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shchelkovo differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,141 including rent). Shchelkovo 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 $1,712 in Shchelkovo 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 $437 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $318 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Shchelkovo versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo 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 Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.