Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sliven Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sliven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $763 in Sliven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,234 in Sliven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,706 in Sliven.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than in Sliven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sliven is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$8.96 BGN 14.91

97.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$35.15 BGN 58.5

98.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.81 BGN 14.65

60.73%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.93 BGN 3.20

45.08%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.32 BGN 2.20

112.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.88 BGN 1.46

134.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.82 BGN 3.02

152.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.34 BGN 3.89

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.57 BGN 2.61

-21.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.84 BGN 1.40

141.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.19 BGN 3.65

-9.59%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.25 BGN 3.74

55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.02 BGN 13.35

128.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$5.49 BGN 9.13

79.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$6.96 BGN 11.59

174.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.49 BGN 2.48

83.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.70 BGN 2.83

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.43 BGN 2.37

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.21 BGN 3.68

24.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.52 BGN 0.87

276.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.89 BGN 1.48

101.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.05 BGN 1.75

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.49 BGN 0.81

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$3.60 BGN 5.98

98.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$6.08 BGN 10.12

29.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.07 BGN 1.78

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.28 BGN 2.14

86.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.69 BGN 1.14

336.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$36.52 BGN 60.8

-19.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.15 BGN 1.91

279.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.74 BGN 1.23

187.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.59 BGN 14.29

244.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.50 BGN 2.49

21.33%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.7K BGN 54.5K

15.70%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$28.0K BGN 46.5K

15.72%

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

$189 €165

$86.8 BGN 144

117.80%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$17.78 BGN 29.57

25.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$9.46 BGN 15.73

292.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$23.71 BGN 39.44

144.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.85 BGN 24.71

39.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$5.95 BGN 9.89

82.69%

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

$706 €618

$430 BGN 715

64.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,076 BGN 11.8K

110.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$58.9 BGN 98.0

51.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$23.14 BGN 38.50

58.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$71.2 BGN 118

46.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$62.2 BGN 104

91.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$239 BGN 398

559.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$145 BGN 241

753.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$340 BGN 565

698.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$267 BGN 444

664.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,159 BGN 1,929

549.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$954 BGN 1,587

449.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,329 BGN 2,211

77.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.25

-20.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sliven: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $239 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 78% 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 $35.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $182 per month, with Sliven 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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sliven differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $763 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 78% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $239 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $430 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Sliven versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven 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 Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.