Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bialystok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,461 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bialystok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,461 in Bialystok.

Barcelona $2,381
Bialystok $1,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $2,069 in Bialystok.

Barcelona $3,406
Bialystok $2,069

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,676 in Bialystok.

Barcelona $4,431
Bialystok $2,676

Living in Barcelona is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bialystok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Bialystok 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$9.91 zł 38.49

80.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$45.57 zł 177

45.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$8.85 zł 34.37

54.69%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$3.55 zł 13.78

-13.80%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$1.90 zł 7.40

61.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.51 zł 5.87

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$3.57 zł 13.88

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$3.03 zł 11.75

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.06 zł 4.14

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.00 zł 3.88

110.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$2.23 zł 8.65

-17.94%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.76 zł 14.59

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$9.39 zł 36.49

84.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$5.62 zł 21.84

65.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$11.23 zł 43.61

76.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.24 zł 4.83

142.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.76 zł 6.84

15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.59 zł 6.19

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.03 zł 7.90

41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.06 zł 4.10

103.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.19 zł 4.61

80.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.17 zł 4.55

25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.60 zł 2.35

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$5.08 zł 19.75

36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$6.12 zł 23.78

27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.22 zł 4.73

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.54 zł 5.97

70.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.07 zł 4.16

171.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$33.47 zł 130

-23.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$2.11 zł 8.19

42.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.66 zł 2.55

118.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$13.02 zł 50.6

154.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.62 zł 6.29

14.81%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$30.8K zł 119.8K

4.92%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$28.8K zł 112.0K

9.96%

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

$183 €163

$299 zł 1,164

-38.97%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$8.25 zł 32.05

64.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$18.22 zł 70.8

80.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$41.41 zł 161

32.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

$27.67 zł 108

-40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$8.25 zł 32.07

36.12%

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

$954 €849

$351 zł 1,363

171.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$4,337 zł 16.9K

282.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$98.1 zł 381

-12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$36.44 zł 142

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$87.1 zł 338

19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$88.4 zł 343

34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$544 zł 2,113

211.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$502 zł 1,951

154.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$822 zł 3,194

213.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$717 zł 2,786

168.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$2,669 zł 10.4K

172.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$2,324 zł 9,030

115.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$1,447 zł 5,622

53.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

7.07

-53.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Bialystok

$502 34.4% 60.7% $774

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Bialystok

$207 14.2% 36.4% $118

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Bialystok

$186 12.7% 31% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Bialystok

$326 22.3% 42.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Bialystok

$140 9.6% 10.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Bialystok

$58 4% 24.9% $19

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Bialystok

$43 3% 8.8% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $544 in Bialystok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 54% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Bialystok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $207 per month, with Bialystok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

297,554

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Bialystok 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bialystok

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

Barcelona vs Bialystok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bialystok differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,461 including rent). Bialystok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $544 in Bialystok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $351 in Bialystok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,461 in Bialystok versus $2,381 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.