Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shumen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shumen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $872 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,388 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,903 in Shumen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 175% more expensive than Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Shumen is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$9.76 BGN 16.24

81.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$29.12 BGN 48.45

140.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.09 BGN 15.13

50.28%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.71 BGN 2.84

60.23%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.33 BGN 2.22

109.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.71 BGN 1.18

176.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.08 BGN 3.46

109.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.27 BGN 3.78

101.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.62 BGN 2.70

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.94 BGN 1.57

118.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.97 BGN 3.27

0.51%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.06 BGN 5.10

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$9.16 BGN 15.24

103.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.67 BGN 9.43

68.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.44 BGN 19.03

64.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.71 BGN 2.85

60.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.10 BGN 3.50

17.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.09 BGN 3.47

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.33 BGN 3.88

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.50 BGN 2.50

34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 BGN 2.21

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.93 BGN 1.55

62.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.80 BGN 1.33

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.58 BGN 5.95

97.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$7.46 BGN 12.41

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.00 BGN 1.67

43.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.60 BGN 2.66

43.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.87 BGN 1.45

231.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$26.10 BGN 43.42

8.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$1.25 BGN 2.08

250.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.31 BGN 0.51

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$12.97 BGN 21.57

124.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.49 BGN 2.48

24.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.6K BGN 54.3K

19.39%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$25.8K BGN 42.9K

26.88%

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

$189 €163

$94.7 BGN 158

99.62%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$16.37 BGN 27.23

38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$13.71 BGN 22.80

166.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$39.89 BGN 66.4

44.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$11.60 BGN 19.30

84.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$7.07 BGN 11.76

52.90%

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

$726 €625

$236 BGN 393

207.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$10.5K BGN 17.5K

43.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$55.5 BGN 92.3

57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$41.49 BGN 69.0

-11.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$80.7 BGN 134

28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$70.5 BGN 117

65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$277 BGN 460

468.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$194 BGN 322

530.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$510 BGN 848

431.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$329 BGN 547

498.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,291 BGN 2,147

505.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,045 BGN 1,738

404.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,052 BGN 1,750

125.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.57

-25.82%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Shumen: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $277 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 126% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $221 per month, with Shumen 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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shumen differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $872 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 126% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $277 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $236 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Shumen versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen 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 Shumen 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 Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.