Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kalisz Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kalisz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,207 in Kalisz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,727 in Kalisz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,247 in Kalisz.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than Kalisz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kalisz is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$10.06 zł 36.73

74.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$46.80 zł 171

46.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.07 zł 29.49

74.23%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.96 zł 10.82

-6.08%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.43 zł 8.89

15.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.91 zł 6.97

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.57 zł 13.05

24.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.66 zł 9.71

73.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.03 zł 3.75

20.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.48 zł 5.40

37.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.76 zł 6.44

9.09%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.47 zł 12.68

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.37 zł 30.59

120.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.64 zł 16.94

104.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$9.71 zł 35.47

97.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.25 zł 4.57

111.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.66 zł 6.06

47.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.66 zł 6.05

27.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.35 zł 12.24

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.92 zł 3.36

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.11 zł 4.04

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.31 zł 4.77

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 zł 2.16

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.98 zł 18.19

43.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.52 zł 27.48

4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.96 zł 3.52

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.50 zł 5.50

54.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.08 zł 3.94

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$36.70 zł 134

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.11 zł 7.71

118.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.77 zł 2.80

168.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$10.73 zł 39.20

171.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.78 zł 6.50

3.37%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.5K zł 122.2K

16.58%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.3K zł 110.7K

7.87%

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

$188 €162

$198 zł 725

-5.36%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.88 zł 32.45

158.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$16.83 zł 61.5

118.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$34.64 zł 127

65.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.49 zł 71.2

6.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.95 zł 25.37

61.01%

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

$721 €621

$458 zł 1,675

57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,468 zł 20.0K

175.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$93.4 zł 341

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$26.71 zł 97.6

38.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$85.3 zł 312

19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$95.5 zł 349

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$450 zł 1,645

240.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$352 zł 1,286

246.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$552 zł 2,015

388.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$448 zł 1,637

349.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,109 zł 7,704

242.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,597 zł 5,834

224.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,268 zł 4,634

86.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.4

-47.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kalisz: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $450 in Kalisz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 86% 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 $47.00 in Kalisz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $203 per month, with Kalisz 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 Kalisz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kalisz differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,207 including rent). Kalisz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 86% 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 $450 in Kalisz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $458 in Kalisz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Kalisz versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kalisz but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kalisz 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 Kalisz 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 Kalisz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.