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Barcelona vs Prague

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Barcelona, ES vs Prague, CZ at a glance — Prague, CZ is 23% cheaper than Barcelona, ES overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $950/mo versus $1,350/mo. Top income tax: 23% vs 47%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Prague, CZ, you'd need

$57,724 / year

Prague, CZ is 23% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Prague, CZ vs Barcelona, ES)

  • Housing-30%
  • Food & groceries-22%
  • Transport-25%
  • Utilities-9%
  • Healthcare-19%
  • Goods & services-20%

◎ How Barcelona, ES and Prague, CZ compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Barcelona, ESPrague, CZ

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Barcelona, ESPrague, CZ
Cost of living
Overall cost index10581
Housing12588
Food10078
Transport8060
Utilities110100
Healthcare8065
Goods & services10282
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,350/mo$950/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,000/mo$720/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,700/mo$1,800/mo
Buy price / m² centre$5,500$5,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$951$1,236
Inexpensive meal$15$9
Monthly transit pass$60$25
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)47%23%
VAT / sales tax21%21%
Social security (employee)6.4%—
Corporate tax25%21%
Capital gains28%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$1,900/mo$1,400/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$57,779✓$43,607✓
Minimum wage$1,652/mo✓$1,070/mo✓
GDP per capita$38,627✓$31,368✓
Inflation (annual)2.7%✓2.4%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaYesYes
English proficiencyModerateModerate
Coworking spaces8040
Time zoneUTC+1UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7373
Safety index5575
Healthcare index8075
Pollution index5040
Internet speed200 Mbps150 Mbps
Walkability9082
Public transport8885
Family-friendly6670
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy84 yr✓80 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+10 °C0 °C
July avg+25 °C+19 °C
Sunny days / year250170
Rainfall / year640 mm500 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Spain vs Czech Republic. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Barcelona vs Prague — in your currency

BarcelonaPrague
1-bed rent, city centre$1,350$950
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,000$720
Inexpensive meal$15$9
Monthly transit pass$60$25
Utilities (monthly)$150$200

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Barcelona

Beach, Gaudí and a huge digital-nomad scene — the trade-off is tourism pressure on housing.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Spanish
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 10°C · ☀ 25°C · 250 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Gràcia · El Born · Poblenou

Good to know before you move to Prague

A fairy-tale capital of Gothic spires and Baroque squares that doubles as one of Central Europe's biggest expat and IT hubs — Western-quality living at noticeably lower prices, though rents have climbed fast.

Currency
Czech koruna (Kč CZK)
Languages
Czech
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
150 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
75/100
Climate
❄ 0°C · ☀ 19°C · 170 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
E · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Vinohrady · Žižkov · Karlín · Malá Strana

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Barcelona to Prague: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Barcelona to Prague, your cost of living will be roughly 23% cheaper. Prague’s cost-of-living index is 81 versus 105 for Barcelona (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Barcelona cheaper than Prague?

Prague is about 23% cheaper than Barcelona overall — its cost-of-living index is 81 versus 105 for Barcelona.

Which is more expensive, Barcelona or Prague?

Barcelona is more expensive than Prague. Its cost-of-living index is 105 vs 81 (US = 100) — about 30% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Barcelona or Prague?

Rent is cheaper in Prague — about $950/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,350 in Barcelona.

How much do you need to earn in Prague to live like in Barcelona?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Barcelona is worth about $57,724 in Prague. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Barcelona or Prague?

Czech Republic has the lower top income-tax rate — 23% versus 47% in Spain.

◷ More comparisons from Barcelona

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.