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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,048 in Nis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,519 in Nis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,991 in Nis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than in Nis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Nis is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.55 RSD 772

133.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$30.06 RSD 3,073

131.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.85 RSD 1,007

43.76%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.90 RSD 195

47.37%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.80 RSD 184

56.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.28 RSD 131

60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.41 RSD 247

90.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.01 RSD 308

55.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.33 RSD 136

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.69 RSD 70.3

194.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.79 RSD 183

10.61%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.40 RSD 245

45.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.19 RSD 837

123.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.97 RSD 713

41.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$11.87 RSD 1,214

61.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.17 RSD 120

133.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.79 RSD 183

32.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.51 RSD 154

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.85 RSD 189

48.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.08 RSD 110

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.13 RSD 116

58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.59 RSD 60.3

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.58 RSD 59.3

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.21 RSD 430

69.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.79 RSD 592

36.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.68 RSD 70.0

102.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.13 RSD 217

12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.81 RSD 82.7

271.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$26.01 RSD 2,659

12.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.49 RSD 153

192.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.45 RSD 46.07

373.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.84 RSD 699

332.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.75 RSD 179

4.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$30.1K RSD 3.1M

25.95%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.7K RSD 2.7M

21.26%

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

$189 €166

$139 RSD 14.2K

35.70%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$16.85 RSD 1,723

32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$22.12 RSD 2,262

67.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$28.83 RSD 2,948

101.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.09 RSD 1,952

8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.91 RSD 502

121.38%

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

$706 €618

$239 RSD 24.4K

195.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,102 RSD 521.6K

191.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$89.0 RSD 9,104

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$46.12 RSD 4,716

-20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$95.6 RSD 9,772

8.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$102 RSD 10.4K

17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$402 RSD 41.1K

292.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$291 RSD 29.8K

325.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$564 RSD 57.6K

381.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$402 RSD 41.1K

406.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,570 RSD 262.8K

192.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,889 RSD 193.1K

177.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$880 RSD 89.9K

168.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.45

-54.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nis: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $402 in Nis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 169% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Nis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $198 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 121% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,048 including rent). Nis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 169% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $402 in Nis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $239 in Nis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,048 in Nis versus $2,320 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 121% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.