Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varazdin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varazdin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,321 in Varazdin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,913 in Varazdin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,505 in Varazdin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 77% more expensive than Varazdin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Varazdin is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$11.51 €9.91

48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$65.8 €56.7

5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.04 €9.51

24.82%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.30 €1.99

20.00%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.41 €2.07

15.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.04 €2.62

-34.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.78 €3.25

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.50 €3.02

35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.18 €1.02

9.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.55 €1.34

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.91 €2.50

-31.62%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.31 €2.85

2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$4.76 €4.10

295.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$8.18 €7.05

14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.40 €12.41

32.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.35 €1.17

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.42 €1.22

64.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.43 €1.23

48.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.60 €2.24

9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.20 €1.03

64.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.13 €0.97

59.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.11 €0.96

30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.01 €0.87

-14.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.89 €5.08

15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.18 €7.05

-3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.78 €0.67

78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.09 €1.80

13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.99 €0.86

194.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$24.41 €21.03

17.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.00 €2.58

48.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.33 €1.14

54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.73 €7.52

238.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.75 €1.51

4.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$38.0K €32.7K

2.31%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.3K €22.7K

25.85%

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

$189 €163

$151 €130

25.67%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$21.16 €18.23

7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$32.91 €28.35

14.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$54.6 €47.02

5.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.68 €12.65

41.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.16 €7.03

32.60%

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

$728 €628

$176 €152

313.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,250 €7,108

79.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$73.8 €63.5

20.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$35.35 €30.46

4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$64.5 €55.6

58.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$74.4 €64.1

56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$596 €513

163.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$452 €390

169.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$856 €738

226.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$493 €425

300.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,215 €2,770

141.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,504 €2,157

106.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,424 €1,227

64.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.12

-17.72%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varazdin: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $596 in Varazdin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 65% 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 $66.0 in Varazdin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $231 per month, with Varazdin 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 Varazdin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Varazdin differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,321 including rent). Varazdin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 65% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $596 in Varazdin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $176 in Varazdin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,321 in Varazdin versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varazdin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Varazdin 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 Varazdin 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 Varazdin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.