Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varna Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,214 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,889 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,564 in Varna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 93% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Varna is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$11.73 BGN 19.51

45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$47.68 BGN 79.3

45.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.67 BGN 14.42

58.94%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.51 BGN 4.18

9.96%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.76 BGN 2.92

58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.33 BGN 2.21

49.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.92 BGN 4.85

49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.91 BGN 4.85

62.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.88 BGN 3.12

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.07 BGN 1.78

91.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.51 BGN 4.18

-20.72%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.32 BGN 5.53

2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.94 BGN 18.21

71.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$8.36 BGN 13.91

11.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.35 BGN 20.55

54.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.61 BGN 2.68

67.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.04 BGN 3.39

14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.84 BGN 3.07

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.77 BGN 4.61

2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.20 BGN 2.00

64.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.09 BGN 1.81

65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.98 BGN 1.63

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.71 BGN 1.18

21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.81 BGN 6.34

77.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.77 BGN 14.59

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.11 BGN 1.85

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.90 BGN 3.17

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.15 BGN 1.91

153.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$29.14 BGN 48.48

-1.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.34 BGN 2.23

232.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 BGN 1.18

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$12.31 BGN 20.47

140.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.55 BGN 2.57

17.42%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.6K BGN 52.6K

22.79%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.0K BGN 48.2K

14.24%

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

$189 €163

$125 BGN 208

51.17%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.90 BGN 31.45

20.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$15.73 BGN 26.16

138.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$40.83 BGN 67.9

41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.43 BGN 24.01

43.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.96 BGN 14.91

20.76%

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

$728 €628

$407 BGN 677

79.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$5,528 BGN 9,196

167.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$59.7 BGN 99.3

48.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$33.90 BGN 56.4

8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$92.6 BGN 154

10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$102 BGN 170

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$521 BGN 867

201.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$391 BGN 651

211.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$908 BGN 1,510

208.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$633 BGN 1,053

212.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,234 BGN 5,381

139.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,112 BGN 3,513

145.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,200 BGN 1,996

95.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.71

-28.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varna: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $521 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 95% 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 $48.00 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $251 per month, with Varna 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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Varna differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,214 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 95% 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 $521 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $407 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,214 in Varna versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Varna 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 Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.