Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Silistra Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Silistra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $908 in Silistra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,346 in Silistra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,783 in Silistra.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 164% more expensive than Silistra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Silistra is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$11.05 BGN 18.38

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$25.28 BGN 42.06

177.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$8.81 BGN 14.65

55.05%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.79 BGN 2.97

53.07%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.19 BGN 1.98

134.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.70 BGN 1.16

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.89 BGN 3.15

130.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.59 BGN 4.31

76.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.71 BGN 2.85

-24.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.89 BGN 1.48

130.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.98 BGN 3.29

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.36 BGN 5.58

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$9.71 BGN 16.16

91.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$7.79 BGN 12.96

22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.52 BGN 19.17

63.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.90 BGN 3.16

44.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.08 BGN 3.45

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.08 BGN 3.46

0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.44 BGN 4.06

15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.49 BGN 2.48

35.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.38 BGN 2.29

34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.01 BGN 1.67

49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.82 BGN 1.36

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.62 BGN 6.02

95.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$5.49 BGN 9.13

45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.96 BGN 1.59

48.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.75 BGN 2.92

30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.58 BGN 0.96

396.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$26.25 BGN 43.67

8.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$1.15 BGN 1.91

280.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.72 BGN 1.20

197.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$5.95 BGN 9.90

389.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.54 BGN 2.56

20.78%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.0K BGN 53.2K

21.86%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$25.4K BGN 42.3K

28.61%

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

$189 €163

$94.3 BGN 157

100.49%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$16.75 BGN 27.87

35.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$13.54 BGN 22.53

169.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$31.89 BGN 53.1

80.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$14.91 BGN 24.80

43.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$6.87 BGN 11.44

57.35%

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

$726 €625

$234 BGN 389

210.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$4,171 BGN 6,938

261.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$59.0 BGN 98.1

48.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$29.08 BGN 48.37

26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$70.9 BGN 118

46.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$73.1 BGN 122

59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$237 BGN 394

563.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$208 BGN 346

487.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$340 BGN 565

698.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$256 BGN 426

667.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,241 BGN 2,064

529.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,192 BGN 1,983

341.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$736 BGN 1,225

222.48%

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 Silistra: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $237 in Silistra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 222% 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 $25.00 in Silistra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $233 per month, with Silistra 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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Silistra differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $908 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 222% 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 $237 in Silistra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $234 in Silistra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Silistra versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Silistra but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Silistra 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 Silistra 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 Silistra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.