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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $943 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,474 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,005 in Shumen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Shumen is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$9.72 BGN 16.18

92.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$35.07 BGN 58.3

98.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.12 BGN 15.17

50.99%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.81 BGN 3.00

71.27%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.47 BGN 2.44

92.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.05 BGN 1.74

79.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.91 BGN 4.83

36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.90 BGN 4.82

56.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.91 BGN 3.17

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.12 BGN 1.86

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.60 BGN 4.33

-32.31%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.98 BGN 4.96

72.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.57 BGN 15.91

86.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.06 BGN 8.42

90.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.18 BGN 15.27

119.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.56 BGN 2.60

108.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.12 BGN 3.53

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.19 BGN 3.64

18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.27 BGN 3.78

21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.09 BGN 3.47

5.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.32 BGN 2.20

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.83 BGN 1.38

86.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.78 BGN 1.31

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.74 BGN 6.22

96.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.18 BGN 11.95

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.99 BGN 1.65

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.46 BGN 2.44

91.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.92 BGN 1.53

238.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$26.37 BGN 43.86

-1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.79 BGN 2.98

82.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.52 BGN 0.86

184.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.58 BGN 2.62

9.49%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$31.9K BGN 53.0K

14.17%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.1K BGN 38.5K

32.06%

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

$187 €163

$136 BGN 226

37.73%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$18.06 BGN 30.05

-16.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$17.42 BGN 28.98

116.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$40.40 BGN 67.2

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$11.74 BGN 19.53

45.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.99 BGN 11.62

63.23%

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

$997 €869

$588 BGN 979

69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

56.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$49.68 BGN 82.6

86.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$51.8 BGN 86.2

-20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$94.2 BGN 157

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$63.7 BGN 106

96.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$276 BGN 459

518.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$186 BGN 310

591.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$439 BGN 730

484.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$341 BGN 567

469.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,261 BGN 2,098

506.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,030 BGN 1,714

401.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,035 BGN 1,722

126.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.25

-2.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Shumen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $276 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 127% 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 $35.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $219 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $943 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $276 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $588 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $943 in Shumen versus $2,476 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.