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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,408 in Szczecin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,007 in Szczecin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,606 in Szczecin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than Szczecin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Szczecin 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$9.33 zł 34.01

88.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$49.78 zł 181

37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.76 zł 31.92

60.50%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.33 zł 12.12

-16.52%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.86 zł 6.79

50.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.41 zł 5.15

46.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.32 zł 12.10

34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.18 zł 11.59

44.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.96 zł 3.51

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.28 zł 4.67

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.99 zł 3.59

93.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.34 zł 12.16

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.64 zł 35.14

91.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.39 zł 23.28

48.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.30 zł 48.48

44.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.89 zł 3.26

196.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.78 zł 6.48

37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.39 zł 5.08

52.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.18 zł 7.96

30.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.89 zł 3.24

129.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.07 zł 3.89

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.03 zł 3.76

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 zł 2.19

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.32 zł 19.40

34.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.03 zł 25.62

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 zł 4.14

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.47 zł 5.37

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.82 zł 3.00

263.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$27.10 zł 98.8

7.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.20 zł 8.02

109.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.97 zł 3.54

113.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.44 zł 48.99

117.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.67 zł 6.08

10.18%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.7K zł 119.3K

19.16%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.7K zł 112.0K

6.43%

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

$188 €162

$253 zł 922

-25.71%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$10.70 zł 38.99

114.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$17.06 zł 62.2

115.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$29.59 zł 108

93.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.99 zł 58.3

29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.91 zł 25.18

61.94%

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

$721 €620

$379 zł 1,383

90.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,219 zł 30.0K

83.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$56.4 zł 205

52.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.67 zł 112

20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.4 zł 264

40.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$85.1 zł 310

36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$657 zł 2,394

133.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$534 zł 1,946

128.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$963 zł 3,512

179.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$811 zł 2,955

148.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,413 zł 12.4K

111.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,566 zł 9,354

102.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,660 zł 6,051

42.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.36

-46.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $657 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 42% 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 $50.0 in Szczecin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $211 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 68% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,408 including rent). Szczecin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 42% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $657 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $379 in Szczecin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,408 in Szczecin versus $2,367 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 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.