Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szczecinek Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szczecinek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,560 in Szczecinek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,253 in Szczecinek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,945 in Szczecinek.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 59% more expensive than in Szczecinek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Szczecinek 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$11.89 zł 45.23

57.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$45.68 zł 174

52.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.30 zł 35.35

48.06%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.63 zł 13.80

-14.60%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.19 zł 4.53

137.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.93 zł 3.53

102.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.21 zł 12.20

23.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.48 zł 5.62

206.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.93 zł 3.53

36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.25 zł 4.77

72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.42 zł 5.39

23.94%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.77 zł 14.35

36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.78 zł 29.60

129.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.18 zł 23.52

56.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.64 zł 51.9

47.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.23 zł 4.66

164.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.18 zł 4.49

88.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.74 zł 6.61

49.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.58 zł 9.80

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.75 zł 2.87

194.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.84 zł 3.20

152.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.34 zł 5.10

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.73 zł 2.78

30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.00 zł 22.82

22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.94 zł 30.20

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.22 zł 4.65

26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.48 zł 5.63

88.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.27 zł 4.84

144.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$33.80 zł 129

-23.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.44 zł 9.26

34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.05 zł 3.97

40.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$12.06 zł 45.87

184.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.51 zł 5.75

14.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$31.6K zł 120.2K

15.07%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$28.1K zł 107.0K

8.52%

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

$187 €163

$300 zł 1,142

-37.70%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$8.30 zł 31.58

82.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$19.19 zł 73.0

96.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.95 zł 148

43.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$24.34 zł 92.6

-29.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.89 zł 29.99

44.61%

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

$997 €869

$213 zł 810

367.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,927 zł 30.1K

108.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$85.1 zł 323

8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.58 zł 147

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$88.8 zł 338

25.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$115 zł 435

9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$587 zł 2,231

190.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$549 zł 2,089

134.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,058 zł 4,022

142.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$911 zł 3,464

113.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,648 zł 10.1K

188.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,352 zł 8,945

119.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,331 zł 5,063

76.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.2

-24.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $587 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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 $46.00 in Szczecinek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $214 per month, with Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szczecinek differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,560 including rent). Szczecinek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $587 in Szczecinek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $213 in Szczecinek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,560 in Szczecinek versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Szczecinek but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.