Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Volos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Volos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,593 in Volos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,422 in Volos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,251 in Volos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 56% more expensive than in Volos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Volos 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$21.03 €18.13

-12.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$57.4 €49.44

20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.49 €9.04

33.94%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.64 €4.00

-32.97%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.78 €2.40

6.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.62 €0.53

214.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.87 €5.06

-32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.96 €5.13

-22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.63 €1.40

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.58 €1.36

33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.89 €2.49

-36.68%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.81 €4.15

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.85 €11.94

26.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$10.78 €9.29

-11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.41 €13.28

29.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.51 €2.16

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.13 €1.84

3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.69 €1.46

54.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.19 €1.88

30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.93 €0.80

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.06 €0.91

99.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.93 €0.81

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.12 €0.97

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.40 €4.66

32.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$9.46 €8.16

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.24 €1.93

-33.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.45 €2.11

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.41 €1.22

122.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$62.0 €53.4

-57.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.06 €3.50

-20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.03 €0.89

46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$20.26 €17.46

74.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.19 €1.89

-20.09%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.4K €25.3K

24.83%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$25.7K €22.2K

23.23%

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

$187 €161

$221 €191

-15.48%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$23.87 €20.58

-36.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$30.65 €26.42

22.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$54.5 €46.94

1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$48.59 €41.88

-65.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.45 €8.15

23.92%

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

$1,011 €871

$279 €241

262.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$101 €87.4

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$61.1 €52.6

-32.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$91.0 €78.4

21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$94.1 €81.1

34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$528 €455

222.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$394 €339

230.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$767 €661

237.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$627 €540

207.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,582 €2,226

199.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,664 €1,434

223.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,046 €901

127.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.47

-29.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Volos: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $528 in Volos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 127% 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 $57.0 in Volos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $305 per month, with Volos 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 Volos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Volos differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,593 including rent). Volos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $528 in Volos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $279 in Volos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,593 in Volos versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Volos 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 Volos 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 Volos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.