Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zatec Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zatec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,282 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,963 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,644 in Zatec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 85% more expensive than Zatec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zatec is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.91 Kč 144

154.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.54 Kč 387

269.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.25 Kč 193

52.00%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.00 Kč 62.5

-7.33%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.73 Kč 15.20

283.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.97 Kč 20.24

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.28 Kč 47.61

95.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.50 Kč 52.0

84.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.90 Kč 18.81

37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.42 Kč 29.58

42.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.11 Kč 43.89

-9.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.59 Kč 53.9

27.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$5.82 Kč 121

216.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$5.47 Kč 114

73.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$6.82 Kč 142

180.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.34 Kč 27.97

97.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.60 Kč 33.45

53.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.08 Kč 43.30

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.02 Kč 83.8

-29.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.96 Kč 20.00

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 Kč 27.70

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.63 Kč 33.88

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 Kč 10.75

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.18 Kč 129

15.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.63 Kč 117

39.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.93 Kč 19.49

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.87 Kč 39.05

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.35 Kč 7.19

751.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$25.83 Kč 539

13.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.85 Kč 59.5

61.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.49 Kč 31.06

38.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$15.13 Kč 315

92.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.75 Kč 36.39

5.14%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.9K Kč 581.7K

39.82%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.8K Kč 622.0K

9.59%

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

$188 €162

$314 Kč 6,539

-40.12%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$25.02 Kč 522

-8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$20.54 Kč 428

78.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$53.0 Kč 1,104

8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$17.03 Kč 355

21.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.48 Kč 239

-2.53%

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

$721 €621

$427 Kč 8,897

68.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$14.5K Kč 302.4K

3.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$87.3 Kč 1,820

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.49 Kč 844

-8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$45.98 Kč 959

121.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$113 Kč 2,352

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$360 Kč 7,504

326.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$323 Kč 6,743

277.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,153 Kč 24.0K

133.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$868 Kč 18.1K

131.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$5,310 Kč 110.7K

35.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,845 Kč 59.3K

82.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,184 Kč 24.7K

99.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.56

-39.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zatec: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $360 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 99% 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 $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $190 per month, with Zatec 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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zatec differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,282 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 99% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $360 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $427 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,282 in Zatec versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zatec but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zatec 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 Zatec 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 Zatec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.