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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $889 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,376 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Shumen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 165% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shumen is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$9.49 BGN 15.80

80.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$29.38 BGN 48.87

131.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.66 BGN 14.41

57.51%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.70 BGN 2.83

63.53%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.37 BGN 2.28

105.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.71 BGN 1.19

176.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.01 BGN 3.34

120.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.33 BGN 3.87

97.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.64 BGN 2.73

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.95 BGN 1.59

124.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.91 BGN 3.18

4.19%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.08 BGN 5.12

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.41 BGN 15.66

101.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.63 BGN 9.37

69.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.73 BGN 19.51

59.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.76 BGN 2.93

50.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.05 BGN 3.41

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.06 BGN 3.42

1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.25 BGN 3.74

21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.45 BGN 2.42

35.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.33 BGN 2.21

36.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.93 BGN 1.54

62.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.79 BGN 1.31

12.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.57 BGN 5.94

89.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.22 BGN 12.00

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.93 BGN 1.55

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.61 BGN 2.68

49.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.87 BGN 1.45

234.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$26.71 BGN 44.44

7.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.25 BGN 2.08

266.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.31 BGN 0.51

558.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.36 BGN 22.22

114.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.49 BGN 2.47

22.15%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.0K BGN 53.2K

23.03%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.2K BGN 41.9K

28.97%

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

$187 €162

$96.4 BGN 160

93.70%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$16.33 BGN 27.16

36.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$13.90 BGN 23.13

161.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$39.73 BGN 66.1

44.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.67 BGN 19.41

77.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.94 BGN 11.54

55.19%

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

$725 €628

$237 BGN 394

205.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

43.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$54.5 BGN 90.6

61.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$41.57 BGN 69.2

-11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$83.1 BGN 138

24.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$72.2 BGN 120

64.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$272 BGN 452

460.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$189 BGN 314

549.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$508 BGN 844

437.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$326 BGN 542

508.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,289 BGN 2,144

479.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,017 BGN 1,691

415.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,034 BGN 1,719

131.49%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shumen: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $272 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 131% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 165% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $889 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $272 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $237 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 $889 in Shumen versus $2,359 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 165% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.