Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zgorzelec Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zgorzelec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,388 in Zgorzelec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,057 in Zgorzelec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,725 in Zgorzelec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 70% more expensive than Zgorzelec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Zgorzelec 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$9.32 zł 33.98

88.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$48.63 zł 177

40.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.17 zł 29.78

72.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.28 zł 11.97

-15.24%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.92 zł 3.36

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 zł 6.14

22.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.59 zł 5.80

180.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.18 zł 7.96

111.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.01 zł 3.67

22.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.31 zł 4.77

54.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.65 zł 6.03

16.36%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.23 zł 11.80

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.09 zł 36.80

82.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.50 zł 23.72

46.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$11.78 zł 42.95

62.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.92 zł 3.35

186.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.66 zł 6.04

47.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.76 zł 6.43

20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.61 zł 5.88

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.70 zł 2.56

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.15 zł 4.20

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.31 zł 4.76

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.66 zł 2.39

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.87 zł 17.76

46.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.26 zł 30.11

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.91 zł 3.33

51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.55 zł 5.66

49.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.11 zł 4.04

168.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$32.45 zł 118

-9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.13 zł 7.75

115.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.90 zł 3.27

130.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$10.79 zł 39.33

170.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.71 zł 6.22

7.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.2K zł 121.0K

17.53%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.4K zł 118.0K

1.01%

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

$188 €162

$277 zł 1,011

-32.27%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$10.07 zł 36.73

127.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$17.44 zł 63.6

110.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$35.85 zł 131

60.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.48 zł 71.0

6.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$7.62 zł 27.79

46.85%

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

$721 €621

$409 zł 1,490

76.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,725 zł 24.5K

123.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$91.5 zł 334

-5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$37.26 zł 136

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$93.3 zł 340

9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$105 zł 383

10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$660 zł 2,406

132.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$491 zł 1,790

148.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$984 zł 3,589

173.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$801 zł 2,922

151.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,951 zł 10.8K

144.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,634 zł 9,605

96.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,469 zł 5,355

60.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.8

-50.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $660 in Zgorzelec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 61% 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 $49.00 in Zgorzelec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $212 per month, with Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zgorzelec differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,388 including rent). Zgorzelec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 61% 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 $660 in Zgorzelec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $409 in Zgorzelec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,388 in Zgorzelec versus $2,367 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 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 Zgorzelec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.