Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Žalec

For one person, living is cheaper in Žalec: $1,661 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Žalec
Learn more

Žalec Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Žalec

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Žalec

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Žalec actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,661 in Žalec.

Barcelona $2,443
Žalec $1,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,396 in Žalec.

Barcelona $3,519
Žalec $2,396

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,131 in Žalec.

Barcelona $4,595
Žalec $3,131

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than in Žalec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Žalec 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.71

$9.99 €8.89

76.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$40.94 €36.44

64.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$7.91 €7.04

72.06%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$1.95 €1.74

58.97%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$3.27 €2.91

-8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.64 €1.46

17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.78 €3.37

1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$3.88 €3.45

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.33 €1.18

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.20 €1.96

-3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.76 €1.57

11.93%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$3.90 €3.47

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$9.44 €8.40

80.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$9.49 €8.45

-5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.38

$14.70 €13.08

40.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.93 €1.72

63.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.66 €1.47

18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.95 €1.73

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$2.85 €2.54

1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.04 €0.92

98.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.83 €0.73

162.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.42 €1.26

7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.77 €0.68

25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$5.88 €5.23

18.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$6.70 €5.96

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.44 €1.28

-1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.82 €1.62

47.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.40 €1.25

136.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.79

$34.00 €30.26

-24.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$1.92 €1.71

60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.29 €1.15

14.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.25

$20.22 €18.00

62.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.63 €1.45

14.72%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$29.1K €25.9K

13.28%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$23.8K €21.2K

34.29%

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

$183 €163

$280 €249

-34.72%

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

$14.24 €12.67

$16.43 €14.62

-13.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.76

$28.11 €25.02

22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.76

$63.8 €56.8

-19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$10.23 €9.11

8.11%

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

$944 €840

$630 €560

49.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$12.1K €10.8K

84.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$91.7 €81.6

-4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.51

$36.75 €32.71

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.0

$110 €97.8

-4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$124 €110

-5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,510

$716 €637

137.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$604 €538

121.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,396

$1,132 €1,008

137.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,848

$995 €886

108.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,367

$3,246 €2,888

120.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,520

$3,078 €2,739

65.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,995

$1,509 €1,343

48.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.52

-9.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Žalec: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Žalec

$604 36.4% 54.8% $733

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Žalec

$263 15.9% 19.7% $64

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Žalec

$173 10.4% 35.1% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Žalec

$325 19.6% 40.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Žalec

$163 9.8% 3.9% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Žalec

$84 5.1% 14.6% $11

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Žalec

$48 2.9% 2.7% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $716 in Žalec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $41 in Žalec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $263 per month, with Žalec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇮 Žalec

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

5,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Žalec 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Žalec

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Žalec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,661 in Žalec, so Žalec is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $716 in Žalec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $630 in Žalec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Žalec gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Žalec are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Žalec wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.