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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,528 in Bialystok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,178 in Bialystok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,828 in Bialystok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bialystok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Bialystok 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$10.20 zł 37.90

80.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$48.08 zł 179

43.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$9.46 zł 35.15

49.37%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.86 zł 14.35

-18.91%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.90 zł 7.06

58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.64 zł 6.10

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$3.70 zł 13.73

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.27 zł 12.14

45.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.12 zł 4.14

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.09 zł 4.05

98.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.35 zł 8.71

-28.09%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.98 zł 14.79

23.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$9.46 zł 35.12

89.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.11 zł 22.69

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$11.65 zł 43.29

66.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.32 zł 4.91

145.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.86 zł 6.90

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.73 zł 6.43

54.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.06 zł 7.64

34.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.15 zł 4.28

92.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.28 zł 4.74

71.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.24 zł 4.59

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.59 zł 2.19

55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$5.46 zł 20.26

30.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$6.71 zł 24.94

21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.22 zł 4.55

22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.52 zł 5.64

82.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.16 zł 4.31

171.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$35.38 zł 131

-23.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.13 zł 7.90

52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.72 zł 2.67

108.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$13.58 zł 50.4

156.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.59 zł 5.90

10.06%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$32.6K zł 121.0K

12.50%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$28.5K zł 105.7K

8.71%

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

$188 €161

$314 zł 1,165

-40.16%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$8.66 zł 32.16

78.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$18.79 zł 69.8

101.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$42.74 zł 159

33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$29.07 zł 108

-42.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$7.08 zł 26.31

63.56%

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

$1,003 €863

$376 zł 1,397

166.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$4,452 zł 16.5K

282.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$103 zł 383

-13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$38.06 zł 141

7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$90.9 zł 338

20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$94.6 zł 352

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$563 zł 2,092

197.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$529 zł 1,966

151.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$857 zł 3,185

202.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$764 zł 2,836

155.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,840 zł 10.5K

166.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,386 zł 8,861

125.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,504 zł 5,585

59.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.07

-55.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $563 in Bialystok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 60% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $48.00 in Bialystok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $217 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 63% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,528 including rent). Bialystok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $563 in Bialystok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $376 in Bialystok. 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 $1,528 in Bialystok versus $2,495 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 63% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.