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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $915 in Kostroma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,420 in Kostroma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,925 in Kostroma.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 173% more expensive than in Kostroma, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Kostroma is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$17.27 ₽1,483

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$51.7 ₽4,438

33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$7.13 ₽612

98.18%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.86 ₽245

9.44%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.46 ₽125

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.66 ₽56.7

196.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.72 ₽148

132.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$2.45 ₽210

94.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.15 ₽99.1

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.55 ₽47.51

292.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.32 ₽113

28.03%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.21 ₽104

307.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$4.17 ₽357

328.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$3.47 ₽298

176.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$3.78 ₽325

411.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$0.83 ₽70.9

290.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.52 ₽130

43.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.93 ₽80.0

187.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.34 ₽115

106.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.74 ₽63.2

198.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.42 ₽36.27

421.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.02 ₽87.5

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.65 ₽55.4

41.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.05 ₽262

133.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$5.06 ₽434

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.12 ₽95.9

33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.96 ₽168

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.37 ₽31.54

751.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$20.39 ₽1,750

32.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.37 ₽118

137.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.14 ₽12.37

971.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$7.01 ₽602

397.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.76 ₽65.5

130.26%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$23.5K ₽2.0M

55.71%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$26.4K ₽2.3M

17.06%

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

$188 €161

$125 ₽10.7K

50.63%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$6.36 ₽546

142.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$7.64 ₽655

394.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$28.93 ₽2,483

97.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$17.43 ₽1,496

-3.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$6.96 ₽598

66.38%

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

$1,003 €863

$300 ₽25.8K

234.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$6,591 ₽565.6K

158.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$63.6 ₽5,460

40.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$52.6 ₽4,516

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$106 ₽9,138

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$102 ₽8,756

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$369 ₽31.6K

353.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$211 ₽18.1K

531.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$579 ₽49.7K

348.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$345 ₽29.6K

465.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$1,755 ₽150.7K

331.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$856 ₽73.5K

527.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$902 ₽77.4K

166.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-84.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $369 in Kostroma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 166% 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 $52.0 in Kostroma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $127 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 173% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $915 including rent). Kostroma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% 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 $369 in Kostroma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $300 in Kostroma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 162% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $915 in Kostroma versus $2,495 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 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.