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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,275 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,032 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,790 in Zatec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than in Zatec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Zatec is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$7.31 Kč 152

151.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$19.30 Kč 401

258.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$9.37 Kč 195

50.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.04 Kč 63.2

2.96%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.73 Kč 15.21

313.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.97 Kč 20.17

102.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.42 Kč 50.2

65.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.16 Kč 65.7

50.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.89 Kč 18.55

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.46 Kč 30.35

47.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.45 Kč 50.9

-31.02%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.61 Kč 54.3

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$6.10 Kč 127

193.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$5.65 Kč 117

70.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$7.06 Kč 147

173.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.32 Kč 27.48

145.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.66 Kč 34.48

31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.25 Kč 46.72

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.51 Kč 73.0

-21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.99 Kč 20.65

123.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.10 Kč 22.82

99.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.68 Kč 34.86

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.55 Kč 11.41

67.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$6.41 Kč 133

11.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.67 Kč 118

43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.93 Kč 19.25

61.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.74 Kč 36.07

59.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.32 Kč 6.73

884.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$27.20 Kč 565

-0.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.93 Kč 60.9

10.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.97 Kč 40.87

-23.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$17.35 Kč 361

101.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.89 Kč 39.31

-7.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$32.8K Kč 681.1K

11.87%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.7K Kč 638.9K

0.65%

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

$188 €161

$312 Kč 6,492

-39.93%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$23.42 Kč 487

-34.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$19.60 Kč 407

92.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$65.0 Kč 1,351

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$20.06 Kč 417

-16.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$13.72 Kč 285

-15.60%

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

$1,003 €862

$766 Kč 15.9K

30.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$12.1K Kč 252.2K

40.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$94.2 Kč 1,958

-5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$39.63 Kč 824

3.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$48.61 Kč 1,010

126.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$127 Kč 2,644

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$377 Kč 7,828

344.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$345 Kč 7,178

285.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,090 Kč 22.7K

138.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,003 Kč 20.9K

94.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$5,182 Kč 107.7K

46.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$4,180 Kč 86.9K

28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,190 Kč 24.7K

101.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.64

-31.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zatec: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $377 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 102% 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 $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $193 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,275 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 102% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $377 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $766 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,275 in Zatec versus $2,495 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 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.