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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,416 in Bialystok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,997 in Bialystok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,579 in Bialystok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 64% more expensive than in Bialystok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Bialystok 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$9.52 zł 36.12

85.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$48.43 zł 184

43.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.80 zł 29.60

81.54%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.16 zł 11.99

-11.39%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.82 zł 6.92

54.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.65 zł 6.25

24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.22 zł 12.20

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.07 zł 11.64

52.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.08 zł 4.10

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.23 zł 4.66

65.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.18 zł 4.48

67.80%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.13 zł 11.87

11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.36 zł 31.72

119.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.88 zł 22.33

67.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.97 zł 41.61

74.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$0.95 zł 3.59

187.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.79 zł 6.80

32.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.72 zł 6.54

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.12 zł 8.04

29.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.94 zł 3.56

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.02 zł 3.86

75.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.19 zł 4.50

24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.58 zł 2.21

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.13 zł 19.46

38.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.46 zł 24.52

21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.25 zł 4.74

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.65 zł 6.25

44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.06 zł 4.04

183.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$35.93 zł 136

-18.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.12 zł 8.06

105.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.49 zł 1.84

334.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$12.38 zł 46.96

139.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.69 zł 6.41

7.69%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$33.0K zł 125.3K

14.77%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.2K zł 110.6K

11.04%

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

$189 €166

$311 zł 1,180

-39.24%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.50 zł 32.26

162.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$16.77 zł 63.6

121.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.43 zł 142

55.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.05 zł 72.3

8.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.86 zł 26.01

58.45%

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

$706 €618

$341 zł 1,294

106.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,315 zł 35.3K

59.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$91.3 zł 346

-2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$31.35 zł 119

16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$76.9 zł 292

35.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$96.3 zł 365

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$546 zł 2,073

188.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$490 zł 1,860

152.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$847 zł 3,214

220.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$734 zł 2,784

177.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,794 zł 10.6K

169.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,370 zł 8,993

121.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,525 zł 5,785

55.04%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $546 in Bialystok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 55% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $48.00 in Bialystok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $200 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 64% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,416 including rent). Bialystok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $546 in Bialystok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $341 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 $1,416 in Bialystok versus $2,320 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 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.