Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,044 in Nis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,519 in Nis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,994 in Nis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 139% more expensive than in Nis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Nis is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$7.70 RSD 776

138.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$35.00 RSD 3,531

97.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$9.87 RSD 996

43.16%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.00 RSD 202

56.50%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.35 RSD 237

28.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.89 RSD 191

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$3.75 RSD 379

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.51 RSD 455

5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.20 RSD 121

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.72 RSD 72.6

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.75 RSD 176

-3.43%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.42 RSD 244

103.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$8.00 RSD 807

123.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$5.98 RSD 603

60.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.97 RSD 1,107

76.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.11 RSD 112

191.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.76 RSD 178

23.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.50 RSD 152

78.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.09 RSD 211

32.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.79 RSD 79.6

179.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.80 RSD 80.5

173.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.65 RSD 65.6

133.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.63 RSD 63.3

46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$4.67 RSD 471

52.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.57 RSD 562

46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.71 RSD 71.9

111.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.29 RSD 130

115.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.91 RSD 193

70.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.65 RSD 65.6

130.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$8.39 RSD 847

315.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.84 RSD 185

-4.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$31.5K RSD 3.2M

16.31%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$25.0K RSD 2.5M

23.58%

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

$188 €161

$164 RSD 16.6K

14.16%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$20.57 RSD 2,075

-24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$23.38 RSD 2,359

61.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$30.95 RSD 3,123

84.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$16.37 RSD 1,652

2.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.08 RSD 513

127.95%

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

$1,003 €862

$257 RSD 25.9K

290.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,099 RSD 514.5K

233.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$90.0 RSD 9,082

-0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$39.89 RSD 4,025

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$104 RSD 10.5K

6.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$115 RSD 11.6K

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$395 RSD 39.8K

323.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$286 RSD 28.8K

365.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$620 RSD 62.6K

318.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$431 RSD 43.5K

352.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,592 RSD 261.5K

192.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,926 RSD 194.3K

178.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$952 RSD 96.0K

152.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.11

-38.16%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nis: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $395 in Nis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 152% 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 $35.00 in Nis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $187 per month, with Nis 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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nis differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,044 including rent). Nis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 152% 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 $395 in Nis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $257 in Nis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nis – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,044 in Nis versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nis 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 Nis 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 Nis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.