Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zgorzelec

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgorzelec: $1,416 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Zgorzelec
Learn more

Zgorzelec Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Zgorzelec

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Zgorzelec

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 Zgorzelec actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,416 in Zgorzelec.

Barcelona $2,443
Zgorzelec $1,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,062 in Zgorzelec.

Barcelona $3,519
Zgorzelec $2,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,707 in Zgorzelec.

Barcelona $4,595
Zgorzelec $2,707

Living in Barcelona is roughly 72% more expensive than in Zgorzelec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Zgorzelec 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$8.90 zł 34.77

98.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$51.7 zł 202

30.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$7.51 zł 29.35

81.23%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$3.09 zł 12.08

0.32%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$0.91 zł 3.57

229.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.63 zł 6.38

18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$1.48 zł 5.77

159.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$2.05 zł 8.00

112.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.95 zł 3.71

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.20 zł 4.70

76.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.40 zł 5.47

40.71%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$3.51 zł 13.74

35.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$8.58 zł 33.54

98.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$5.84 zł 22.81

53.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$13.05 zł 51.0

58.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$0.86 zł 3.37

267.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.50 zł 5.84

31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.64 zł 6.40

61.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$1.55 zł 6.04

85.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$0.62 zł 2.42

232.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.01 zł 3.94

115.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.27 zł 4.96

20.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.64 zł 2.49

51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$4.64 zł 18.13

50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$7.53 zł 29.42

4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$0.85 zł 3.32

67.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.47 zł 5.73

82.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.09 zł 4.27

203.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

$29.10 zł 114

-11.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.32 zł 9.07

32.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.05 zł 4.09

40.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$12.75 zł 49.82

157.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.62 zł 6.31

15.43%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$30.4K zł 118.7K

8.55%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$27.7K zł 108.1K

15.45%

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

$183 €162

$288 zł 1,127

-36.57%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$7.87 zł 30.75

80.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$18.41 zł 71.9

87.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$37.66 zł 147

36.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$21.48 zł 84.0

-23.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$7.34 zł 28.67

50.68%

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

$944 €838

$483 zł 1,887

95.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$7,450 zł 29.1K

198.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$77.2 zł 301

13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$37.75 zł 148

2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$86.2 zł 337

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$109 zł 425

8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$599 zł 2,339

183.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$515 zł 2,012

159.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$968 zł 3,785

177.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$824 zł 3,218

152.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$2,959 zł 11.6K

141.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$2,159 zł 8,438

135.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

$1,369 zł 5,349

63.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.63

-51.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Zgorzelec

$515 36.4% 61.5% $822

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Zgorzelec

$202 14.2% 38.5% $126

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Zgorzelec

$152 10.8% 42.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Zgorzelec

$315 22.2% 35.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Zgorzelec

$139 9.9% 11.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Zgorzelec

$52 3.7% 28.9% $21

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Zgorzelec

$41 2.9% 16.8% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $599 in Zgorzelec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 64% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $52 in Zgorzelec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $202 per month, with Zgorzelec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇱 Zgorzelec

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

29,534

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Barcelona Zgorzelec 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Zgorzelec

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 Zgorzelec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,416 in Zgorzelec, so Zgorzelec is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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 $599 in Zgorzelec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $483 in Zgorzelec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,416 in Zgorzelec versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zgorzelec but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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