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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,223 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,849 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,476 in Varna.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Varna is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.69 BGN 19.45

46.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$47.30 BGN 78.7

43.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.07 BGN 15.09

50.39%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.47 BGN 4.12

12.55%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.73 BGN 2.87

63.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.32 BGN 2.19

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.89 BGN 4.80

53.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.93 BGN 4.88

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.79 BGN 2.98

-29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.03 BGN 1.71

106.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.44 BGN 4.05

-18.44%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.44 BGN 5.73

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$10.79 BGN 17.95

75.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$8.10 BGN 13.47

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.26 BGN 20.40

52.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.69 BGN 2.80

56.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.04 BGN 3.40

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.87 BGN 3.10

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.73 BGN 4.54

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.20 BGN 2.00

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.14 BGN 1.89

58.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.00 BGN 1.66

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.74 BGN 1.23

20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.74 BGN 6.22

81.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.68 BGN 14.44

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.11 BGN 1.85

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.91 BGN 3.18

25.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.16 BGN 1.93

150.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$29.23 BGN 48.62

-1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.35 BGN 2.25

239.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.72 BGN 1.19

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$12.42 BGN 20.67

131.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.50 BGN 2.50

21.33%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.3K BGN 53.8K

21.57%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.5K BGN 49.1K

10.08%

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

$187 €162

$124 BGN 207

49.95%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$18.60 BGN 30.94

19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$15.89 BGN 26.43

128.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.68 BGN 69.3

38.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.85 BGN 24.70

39.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.94 BGN 14.87

20.47%

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

$725 €628

$413 BGN 687

75.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$5,503 BGN 9,156

175.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$60.4 BGN 100

45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$33.21 BGN 55.3

10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$92.6 BGN 154

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 BGN 170

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$510 BGN 848

198.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$389 BGN 647

215.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$893 BGN 1,485

205.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$650 BGN 1,082

205.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,269 BGN 5,438

128.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,167 BGN 3,606

141.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,207 BGN 2,008

98.19%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $510 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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 $47.00 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $249 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 ($2,359 vs $1,223 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $510 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $413 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Varna versus $2,359 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.