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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,160 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,785 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,411 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Shchelkovo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.02

$12.49 ₽936

40.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.6

$58.6 ₽4,393

17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.73

$6.18 ₽463

122.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.15 ₽236

-12.38%

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

$2.78 €2.37

$1.44 ₽108

93.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.62 ₽46.35

230.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.41 ₽106

226.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.91

$4.47 ₽335

2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.33 ₽99.3

-3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$0.85 ₽63.5

148.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.74 ₽130

13.22%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$1.91 ₽143

80.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.06

$12.97 ₽972

45.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.06

$6.07 ₽455

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.22

$12.25 ₽918

55.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.97 ₽147

38.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.03 ₽152

16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.36 ₽177

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.35

$4.04 ₽303

-31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.03 ₽77.1

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.81 ₽60.3

120.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.63 ₽122

-7.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.76

$0.74 ₽55.8

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$3.25 ₽243

108.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$8.10 ₽607

-6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.07 ₽80.3

34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.05

$2.32 ₽174

3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.50 ₽37.21

506.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.48 ₽186

78.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.45 ₽33.59

355.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.02

$8.26 ₽619

255.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$0.81 ₽61.0

133.33%

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

$38.7K €33.0K

$38.7K ₽2.9M

0.22%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$36.6K ₽2.7M

-11.57%

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

$189 €161

$150 ₽11.2K

25.73%

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

$22.21 €18.94

$7.83 ₽587

183.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.40

$8.10 ₽607

354.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.47

$34.86 ₽2,612

66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.43

$6.41 ₽480

72.39%

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

$726 €620

$323 ₽24.2K

124.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,919 ₽518.5K

120.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.3

$87.0 ₽6,518

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.55

$53.7 ₽4,020

-31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.5

$131 ₽9,805

-21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$163 ₽12.2K

-26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,302

$443 ₽33.2K

244.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,039

$303 ₽22.7K

301.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,383

$772 ₽57.8K

262.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,729

$511 ₽38.3K

297.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,051

$1,944 ₽145.7K

264.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,136

$1,603 ₽120.1K

202.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,051

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Barcelona vs $59 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $240 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,160 including rent). Shchelkovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,740 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $443 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $323 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 $59.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,160 in Shchelkovo versus $2,341 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 102% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.