Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zell am see Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zell am see

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,173 in Zell am see.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,204 in Zell am see.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,235 in Zell am see.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 9% more expensive than in Zell am see, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Zell am see 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.67 €10.11

46.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$82.4 €71.4

-17.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.11 €8.76

34.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.30 €3.72

-35.35%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$3.63 €3.14

-22.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.68 €2.32

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.73 €4.97

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.89 €4.23

-5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.59 €1.38

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.39 €2.93

-37.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.33 €2.02

-14.59%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.01 €3.47

-15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$17.71 €15.34

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$16.18 €14.01

-41.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$23.73 €20.55

-21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.44 €2.12

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.22 €1.93

5.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.38 €2.93

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.93 €3.40

-30.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.49 €2.16

-21.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.06 €1.78

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.93 €1.67

-21.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.75 €0.65

18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.74 €5.84

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.55 €6.54

4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.51 €1.31

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.78 €1.54

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.83 €2.45

2.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$60.5 €52.4

-52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.04 €2.63

50.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.82 €0.71

148.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$28.41 €24.60

1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.76 €1.52

3.41%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.8K €24.9K

36.69%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.8K €25.8K

9.09%

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

$187 €162

$352 €305

-46.96%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$19.97 €17.29

11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$39.94 €34.58

-8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$46.96 €40.66

22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$25.58 €22.16

-18.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.12 €12.23

-23.73%

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

$725 €628

$459 €398

57.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,525 €3,918

234.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$101 €87.7

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$39.76 €34.43

-7.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$118 €103

-12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$128 €111

-7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$901 €780

69.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$845 €732

45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,606 €1,391

69.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,275 €1,104

55.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$5,518 €4,779

35.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$4,183 €3,623

25.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.89

-12.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zell am see: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $901 in Zell am see. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Zell am see for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $394 per month, with Barcelona 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 Zell am see: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zell am see differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,173 including rent). Zell am see is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $3,259 in Zell am see to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $901 in Zell am see. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $459 in Zell am see. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,173 in Zell am see versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zell am see but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zell am see 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 Zell am see 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 Zell am see gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.