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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $878 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,375 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,872 in Shumen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Shumen is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.76 BGN 16.30

80.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$30.01 BGN 50.1

128.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.66 BGN 14.47

58.78%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.66 BGN 2.77

66.27%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.38 BGN 2.30

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.70 BGN 1.16

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.98 BGN 3.31

132.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.37 BGN 3.95

93.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.68 BGN 2.81

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.96 BGN 1.60

119.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.87 BGN 3.13

5.35%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.02 BGN 5.04

13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.69 BGN 16.19

94.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.90 BGN 9.85

60.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.53 BGN 19.26

64.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.75 BGN 2.93

55.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.07 BGN 3.46

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.05 BGN 3.42

1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.28 BGN 3.81

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.50 BGN 2.50

31.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.38 BGN 2.30

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.97 BGN 1.62

55.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.79 BGN 1.31

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.63 BGN 6.07

86.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.27 BGN 12.15

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.00 BGN 1.67

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.62 BGN 2.70

48.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.89 BGN 1.48

240.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$26.38 BGN 44.06

7.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.26 BGN 2.10

251.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.31 BGN 0.51

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.29 BGN 22.20

120.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.49 BGN 2.49

26.85%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.6K BGN 54.5K

18.81%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.6K BGN 42.8K

26.19%

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

$189 €161

$95.1 BGN 159

98.22%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$16.85 BGN 28.14

31.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$14.05 BGN 23.46

162.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$39.44 BGN 65.9

47.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.87 BGN 19.82

76.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.17 BGN 11.98

54.11%

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

$726 €622

$235 BGN 392

209.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$10.6K BGN 17.7K

43.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$54.6 BGN 91.2

61.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$41.70 BGN 69.6

-11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$83.4 BGN 139

23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$72.4 BGN 121

64.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$278 BGN 464

449.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$189 BGN 315

545.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$494 BGN 826

465.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$324 BGN 541

526.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,299 BGN 2,169

446.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,039 BGN 1,735

366.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,053 BGN 1,759

128.30%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Shumen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $278 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 128% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $223 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 167% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $878 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 128% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $278 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $235 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Shumen versus $2,341 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 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.