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: $2,459 in Barcelona versus $1,479 in Zgorzelec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,452 in Barcelona versus $2,177 in Zgorzelec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,445 in Barcelona versus $2,875 in Zgorzelec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 66% more expensive than in Zgorzelec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Zgorzelec 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 €16.15

$9.36 zł 34.86

99.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €57.4

$52.1 zł 194

27.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.06

$8.22 zł 30.60

69.34%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.67

$3.23 zł 12.02

-4.64%

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

$2.91 €2.52

$0.96 zł 3.59

203.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.71 zł 6.37

8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.55

$1.63 zł 6.07

151.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.95

$2.10 zł 7.80

116.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.00 zł 3.74

24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.28 zł 4.76

72.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.45 zł 5.38

24.83%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.28

$3.61 zł 13.43

36.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 €14.13

$9.38 zł 34.94

73.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.19

$6.19 zł 23.03

52.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$13.10 zł 48.79

45.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.80

$0.94 zł 3.52

243.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.64 zł 6.09

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.22

$1.76 zł 6.56

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.41

$1.64 zł 6.10

68.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$0.66 zł 2.44

218.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.10 zł 4.11

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.33 zł 4.95

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$0.73 zł 2.73

17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.13

$5.08 zł 18.91

39.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$8.07 zł 30.06

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$0.89 zł 3.32

71.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.22

$1.42 zł 5.28

80.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.68

$1.28 zł 4.75

141.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 €23.15

$27.63 zł 103

-3.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.92

$2.47 zł 9.20

36.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.05 zł 3.89

72.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €29.52

$13.23 zł 49.25

157.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.63 zł 6.06

3.68%

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

$35.6K €30.8K

$32.0K zł 119.2K

11.18%

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

$30.4K €26.3K

$28.6K zł 106.4K

6.31%

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

$181 €157

$306 zł 1,139

-40.80%

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

$15.80 €13.70

$8.14 zł 30.30

94.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €31.75

$20.35 zł 75.8

79.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €47.16

$39.98 zł 149

36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 €14.32

$24.28 zł 90.4

-32.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.84

$7.87 zł 29.31

44.35%

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

$946 €820

$513 zł 1,909

84.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.0K

$7,804 zł 29.1K

106.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 €73.0

$84.5 zł 315

-0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.02

$39.11 zł 146

3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.8

$91.5 zł 341

16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$113 zł 422

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 €1,468

$712 zł 2,651

137.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,136

$460 zł 1,714

184.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 €2,320

$1,171 zł 4,361

128.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 €1,613

$893 zł 3,326

108.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 €6,487

$3,437 zł 12.8K

117.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,263 €4,562

$2,017 zł 7,512

160.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,082

$1,405 zł 5,233

70.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

6.65

-53.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 3, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: August 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Barcelona and $712 in Zgorzelec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 71% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $52.0 in Zgorzelec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $213 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 66% in total monthly costs ($2,459 vs $1,479 including rent). Zgorzelec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,694 in Barcelona versus $712 in Zgorzelec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $946 in Barcelona versus $513 in Zgorzelec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,479 in Zgorzelec versus $2,459 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 66% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.