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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,271 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,546 in Zatec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than in Zatec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Zatec is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.89 Kč 146

156.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.94 Kč 401

267.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.24 Kč 196

53.25%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.07 Kč 65.1

-8.79%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.73 Kč 15.40

284.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.89 Kč 18.79

131.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.29 Kč 48.44

100.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.63 Kč 55.7

78.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.82 Kč 17.32

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.39 Kč 29.40

46.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.13 Kč 45.03

-7.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.49 Kč 52.7

40.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$5.68 Kč 120

222.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.56 Kč 118

76.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.10 Kč 150

169.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.34 Kč 28.40

103.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.66 Kč 35.14

43.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.11 Kč 44.68

-1.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.99 Kč 84.5

-31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.90 Kč 19.02

117.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.32 Kč 27.99

35.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.59 Kč 33.71

-6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 Kč 11.22

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.97 Kč 127

19.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.79 Kč 123

36.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.87 Kč 18.38

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.79 Kč 37.89

33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.32 Kč 6.76

840.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$26.10 Kč 553

12.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.86 Kč 60.7

52.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.54 Kč 32.73

38.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$15.33 Kč 325

93.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.73 Kč 36.70

5.20%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.6K Kč 584.1K

37.44%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.7K Kč 629.2K

9.05%

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

$189 €166

$303 Kč 6,429

-37.69%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$25.01 Kč 530

-10.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$21.07 Kč 447

76.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$54.0 Kč 1,145

7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$16.53 Kč 350

24.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.56 Kč 245

-5.97%

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

$706 €618

$439 Kč 9,293

60.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$14.4K Kč 304.3K

3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$88.0 Kč 1,864

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$40.37 Kč 856

-9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$47.00 Kč 996

121.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$113 Kč 2,402

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$365 Kč 7,726

332.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$331 Kč 7,005

274.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,164 Kč 24.7K

133.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$882 Kč 18.7K

131.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,424 Kč 93.7K

70.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,823 Kč 81.0K

37.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,155 Kč 24.5K

104.68%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zatec: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $365 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 105% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $189 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,271 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $365 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $439 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Zatec versus $2,320 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 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.