Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szczecin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szczecin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,402 in Szczecin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,108 in Szczecin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,814 in Szczecin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than in Szczecin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Szczecin 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$9.64 zł 36.05

90.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$48.86 zł 183

41.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$8.89 zł 33.24

58.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.13 zł 11.70

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.95 zł 7.30

54.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.47 zł 5.51

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$3.20 zł 11.96

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$3.26 zł 12.20

46.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.92 zł 3.44

35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.37 zł 5.13

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.12 zł 4.20

50.89%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$3.38 zł 12.65

45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$9.72 zł 36.33

83.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$6.81 zł 25.46

41.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$13.56 zł 50.7

42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$0.94 zł 3.52

244.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.78 zł 6.65

22.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.62 zł 6.05

64.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.44 zł 9.11

13.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.90 zł 3.37

145.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.09 zł 4.08

100.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.20 zł 4.49

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.63 zł 2.35

46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$5.52 zł 20.65

28.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$6.70 zł 25.04

21.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.12 zł 4.18

33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$1.53 zł 5.70

81.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$0.83 zł 3.11

279.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$26.37 zł 98.6

2.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.04 zł 7.62

59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.96 zł 3.59

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$13.34 zł 49.88

161.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 zł 5.89

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$32.7K zł 122.3K

12.08%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$30.1K zł 112.7K

2.65%

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

$188 €162

$255 zł 952

-26.28%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$12.85 zł 48.04

20.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$19.61 zł 73.3

92.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$32.14 zł 120

77.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$51.7 zł 193

-67.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$6.63 zł 24.78

74.66%

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

$1,003 €865

$353 zł 1,321

183.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$8,189 zł 30.6K

107.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$71.6 zł 268

24.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$36.64 zł 137

11.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$82.8 zł 309

32.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$97.2 zł 363

26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$637 zł 2,382

162.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$521 zł 1,946

155.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$1,226 zł 4,581

111.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$854 zł 3,194

128.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$3,401 zł 12.7K

122.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$2,504 zł 9,360

114.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$1,659 zł 6,202

44.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.82

-53.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $637 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 45% 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 $49.00 in Szczecin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $218 per month, with Szczecin 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 Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szczecin differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,402 including rent). Szczecin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $637 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $353 in Szczecin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,402 in Szczecin versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szczecin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecin 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 Szczecin 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 Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.