Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bialystok Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bialystok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,405 in Bialystok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,014 in Bialystok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,622 in Bialystok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than Bialystok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Bialystok 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$9.65 zł 35.26

82.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$48.53 zł 177

41.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.01 zł 29.27

75.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.11 zł 11.36

-10.61%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.92 zł 7.03

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.63 zł 5.94

26.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.35 zł 12.26

33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.01 zł 10.98

53.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.03 zł 3.77

20.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.18 zł 4.32

72.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.17 zł 4.26

64.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.04 zł 11.10

8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.45 zł 30.85

118.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.00 zł 21.90

58.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.64 zł 38.89

80.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.90 zł 3.27

193.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.72 zł 6.30

42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.73 zł 6.33

22.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.12 zł 7.74

34.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.92 zł 3.36

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.02 zł 3.72

81.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.20 zł 4.38

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 zł 2.18

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.30 zł 19.37

34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.64 zł 24.27

18.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.24 zł 4.54

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.61 zł 5.89

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.06 zł 3.87

181.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$35.70 zł 130

-18.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.14 zł 7.81

114.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.49 zł 1.78

322.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$12.39 zł 45.26

135.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.67 zł 6.10

10.18%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.2K zł 124.9K

14.10%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.6K zł 108.2K

10.39%

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

$188 €162

$308 zł 1,124

-38.96%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.13 zł 29.68

182.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$16.79 zł 61.3

118.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$37.15 zł 136

54.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.18 zł 70.1

7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.92 zł 25.30

61.71%

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

$721 €621

$339 zł 1,237

112.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,355 zł 34.2K

60.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$92.0 zł 336

-6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.51 zł 111

21.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$74.5 zł 272

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$94.4 zł 345

22.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$533 zł 1,946

187.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$485 zł 1,771

151.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$855 zł 3,124

215.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$724 zł 2,643

178.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,809 zł 10.3K

157.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,480 zł 9,061

109.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,569 zł 5,733

50.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.47

-47.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $533 in Bialystok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 50% 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 Bialystok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $198 per month, with Bialystok 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 Bialystok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bialystok differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,405 including rent). Bialystok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 50% 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 $533 in Bialystok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $339 in Bialystok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,405 in Bialystok versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bialystok but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bialystok 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 Bialystok 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 Bialystok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.