Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volos and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Volos: $1,524 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Volos, Greece
Barcelona, Spain
Volos
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,524
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Volos and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Volos and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,524 in Volos versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Volos $1,524
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,316 in Volos versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Volos $2,316
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,108 in Volos versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Volos $3,108
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Volos costs roughly 38% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Volos 12% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.16 €18.11
$17.59 €15.80
14.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.1 €50.4
$67.5 €60.6
-16.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.18 €9.15
$13.53 €12.15
-24.76%
Cappuccino
$4.32 €3.88
$3.19 €2.87
35.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 €2.50
$2.91 €2.62
-4.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 €0.55
$1.89 €1.70
-67.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.12
$4.01 €3.60
41.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 €4.98
$4.53 €4.07
22.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.31 €1.17
19.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 €1.37
$2.02 €1.81
-24.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.54
$1.85 €1.66
52.43%
Eggs
$4.73 €4.25
$4.83 €4.34
-2.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.15 €11.81
$16.74 €15.04
-21.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 €9.03
$9.12 €8.19
10.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.93 €13.42
$19.64 €17.64
-23.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.44 €2.19
$2.98 €2.68
-18.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.82
$2.02 €1.81
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 €1.53
$2.70 €2.43
-37.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.83
$2.80 €2.52
-27.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 €0.80
$2.09 €1.87
-57.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 €0.91
$2.07 €1.86
-51.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 €0.82
$1.46 €1.31
-37.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.94 €0.84
11.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.90
$6.87 €6.17
-20.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.02 €8.11
$7.89 €7.09
14.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 €1.98
$1.41 €1.26
56.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.16
$2.54 €2.28
-5.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 €1.17
$3.14 €2.82
-58.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.0 €53.1
$25.45 €22.86
131.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 €3.64
$2.99 €2.69
35.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.49 €1.34
-30.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.38 €17.41
$33.37 €29.99
-41.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.98
$1.80 €1.62
22.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.8K
$33.2K €29.8K
-16.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K €21.9K
$31.7K €28.5K
-23.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 €188
$180 €162
15.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.57 €20.28
$13.84 €12.43
63.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.78 €26.75
$33.70 €30.28
-11.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 €48.29
$51.5 €46.28
4.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.73 €41.09
$15.96 €14.34
186.53%
Cinema Ticket
$8.67 €7.79
$10.99 €9.88
-21.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$274 €247
$917 €824
-70.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.5K €14.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.8 €86.1
$87.0 €78.2
10.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 €52.0
$38.51 €34.60
50.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.6 €77.8
$106 €95.1
-18.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.8 €79.8
$120 €108
-25.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$501 €450
$1,699 €1,527
-70.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 €343
$1,355 €1,218
-71.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$748 €672
$2,603 €2,339
-71.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$592 €532
$2,062 €1,853
-71.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,473 €2,222
$6,915 €6,213
-64.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,648 €1,480
$5,128 €4,607
-67.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Volos
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,015 €912
$2,211 €1,986
-54.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
3.28
36.28%

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

Last update for Volos: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Volos
$381
Barcelona
$1.4K 255% $974
Eating Out
Volos
$297
Barcelona
$268 9.7% $29
Groceries & Markets
Volos
$292
Barcelona
$322 10.3% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Volos
$261
Barcelona
$228 12.8% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Volos
$148
Barcelona
$158 6.7% $9.9
Getting Around
Volos
$73
Barcelona
$48 34% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Volos
$71
Barcelona
$74 3.4% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Volos and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Volos vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $322 per month, with Volos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Volos
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
13:11 1:11 PM
12:11 12:11 PM
1 h behind Volos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
82,439
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Volos Barcelona 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Volos
  • Barcelona

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
Volos vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Volos and in Barcelona?
Volos and Barcelona differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,524 vs $2,453 including rent). Volos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Volos. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Volos and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $501 in Volos versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Volos and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $274 in Volos versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,524 in Volos versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Volos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Volos and Barcelona?
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.
Is Volos or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Volos and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
How do I decide between Volos and Barcelona?
It comes down to priorities – Volos wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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