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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,539 in Szczecinek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,179 in Szczecinek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,820 in Szczecinek.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 54% more expensive than Szczecinek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Szczecinek 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$10.66 zł 38.85

64.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.71 zł 90.1

176.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.21 zł 33.58

52.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.69 zł 13.44

-24.66%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.04 zł 3.80

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.70 zł 2.54

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.19 zł 15.28

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.53 zł 5.60

201.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.11 zł 4.04

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.06 zł 3.86

91.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.55 zł 5.63

23.87%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.40 zł 12.41

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.33 zł 30.39

121.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.51 zł 27.38

26.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$12.79 zł 46.63

49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.02 zł 3.72

158.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.98 zł 7.21

23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.94 zł 7.09

9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.07 zł 11.18

-7.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.93 zł 3.38

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.70 zł 2.55

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.55 zł 5.66

-5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.69 zł 2.53

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.43 zł 19.80

31.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.48 zł 30.93

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.11 zł 4.07

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.60 zł 5.82

44.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.11 zł 4.05

168.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$32.71 zł 119

-10.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.37 zł 8.63

94.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.77 zł 2.82

168.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$13.61 zł 49.62

114.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.76 zł 6.42

4.55%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.3K zł 124.9K

13.86%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.2K zł 109.9K

8.44%

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

$188 €162

$361 zł 1,318

-48.03%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$11.75 zł 42.83

95.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$15.59 zł 56.8

135.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$37.01 zł 135

55.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.41 zł 70.8

6.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$7.54 zł 27.51

48.41%

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

$721 €621

$377 zł 1,373

91.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,552 zł 23.9K

129.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$122 zł 445

-29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$46.47 zł 169

-20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$110 zł 400

-7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$90.2 zł 329

28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$505 zł 1,843

203.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$494 zł 1,803

146.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$962 zł 3,506

180.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$807 zł 2,944

149.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,673 zł 9,747

170.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,552 zł 9,307

103.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,354 zł 4,938

74.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.2

-19.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $505 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 74% 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 $25.00 in Szczecinek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $227 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 54% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,539 including rent). Szczecinek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 74% 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 $505 in Szczecinek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $377 in Szczecinek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,539 in Szczecinek versus $2,367 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 54% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.