Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kostroma Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kostroma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,128 in Kostroma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,719 in Kostroma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,310 in Kostroma.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than Kostroma, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kostroma is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.88 ₽940

36.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$57.5 ₽4,199

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.26 ₽457

124.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.20 ₽234

-13.13%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.40 ₽102

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.67 ₽48.80

207.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.40 ₽321

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.43 ₽323

4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.24 ₽90.5

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.55 ₽39.84

269.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.58 ₽115

21.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.47 ₽108

125.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.22 ₽673

99.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.54 ₽331

109.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.87 ₽720

94.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.48 ₽108

78.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.53 ₽112

60.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.28 ₽93.3

65.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.29 ₽168

24.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 ₽72.3

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.72 ₽52.4

156.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.17 ₽85.1

25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 ₽46.78

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.16 ₽231

125.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.28 ₽459

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.07 ₽78.0

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.36 ₽172

-2.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.46 ₽33.58

547.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$21.87 ₽1,596

33.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.53 ₽112

200.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.12 ₽8.86

1625.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.52 ₽549

288.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.79 ₽57.8

132.91%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.0K ₽1.9M

50.25%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.5K ₽2.2M

10.91%

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

$188 €162

$149 ₽10.9K

26.24%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$7.91 ₽577

189.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$5.04 ₽368

628.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$25.50 ₽1,862

124.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.49 ₽474

72.42%

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

$721 €620

$703 ₽51.3K

2.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$14.8K ₽1.1M

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$87.5 ₽6,389

-1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$52.5 ₽3,834

-29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$134 ₽9,760

-23.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$164 ₽12.0K

-29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$444 ₽32.4K

245.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$301 ₽22.0K

305.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$768 ₽56.0K

251.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$499 ₽36.4K

303.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,088 ₽152.4K

245.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,051 ₽76.7K

393.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,075 ₽78.5K

119.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

14.67

-76.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $444 in Kostroma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 119% 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 $58.0 in Kostroma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $183 per month, with Kostroma 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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kostroma differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,128 including rent). Kostroma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 119% 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 $444 in Kostroma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $703 in Kostroma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Kostroma versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kostroma but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kostroma 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 Kostroma 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 Kostroma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.