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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,166 in Shchelkovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,808 in Shchelkovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,450 in Shchelkovo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shchelkovo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.79 ₽1,018

34.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$58.0 ₽4,612

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.19 ₽493

120.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.29 ₽262

-15.50%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.42 ₽113

98.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.68 ₽54.2

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.35 ₽108

228.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.55 ₽362

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.30 ₽103

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.83 ₽66.0

156.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.77 ₽141

12.43%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.92 ₽153

75.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$13.02 ₽1,036

45.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.85 ₽466

62.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.92 ₽949

57.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.93 ₽153

37.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.10 ₽167

11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.34 ₽186

-10.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.98 ₽317

-31.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.04 ₽82.6

88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.79 ₽62.6

129.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.64 ₽130

-7.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.75 ₽59.8

18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.25 ₽259

108.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.98 ₽635

-0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.08 ₽86.2

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.35 ₽187

2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.50 ₽39.48

482.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.57 ₽205

78.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.48 ₽38.28

325.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$8.08 ₽643

255.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.79 ₽63.1

130.38%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$37.9K ₽3.0M

3.77%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$37.1K ₽3.0M

-12.42%

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

$187 €162

$149 ₽11.8K

25.54%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.22 ₽654

171.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$7.87 ₽627

362.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.26 ₽2,807

63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.50 ₽518

65.69%

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

$725 €628

$324 ₽25.8K

123.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,051 ₽561.2K

114.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$86.6 ₽6,889

1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$52.5 ₽4,182

-29.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$134 ₽10.6K

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$160 ₽12.8K

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$450 ₽35.8K

238.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$307 ₽24.5K

299.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$767 ₽61.1K

255.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$504 ₽40.1K

293.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,203 ₽175.3K

239.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,355 ₽107.8K

287.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $238 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 ($2,359 vs $1,166 including rent). Shchelkovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,749 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $450 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $324 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 $58.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Shchelkovo versus $2,359 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.