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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,023 in Nis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,501 in Nis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,979 in Nis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than Nis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nis is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$7.23 RSD 729

143.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$29.67 RSD 2,991

130.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.99 RSD 1,007

40.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.99 RSD 201

39.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.82 RSD 184

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.22 RSD 123

68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.54 RSD 256

75.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.91 RSD 293

58.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.33 RSD 134

-6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.74 RSD 75.0

174.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.81 RSD 182

6.08%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.44 RSD 246

35.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.78 RSD 784

136.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.65 RSD 670

42.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$11.70 RSD 1,179

63.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.19 RSD 119

121.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.72 RSD 174

42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.46 RSD 147

45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.78 RSD 180

60.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.02 RSD 103

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.13 RSD 114

63.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.55 RSD 55.1

167.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 RSD 57.1

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.23 RSD 427

68.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.31 RSD 636

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.73 RSD 73.7

89.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.04 RSD 206

13.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.80 RSD 80.7

272.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$25.95 RSD 2,616

12.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.45 RSD 146

217.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.45 RSD 45.78

360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$6.82 RSD 687

327.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.75 RSD 176

5.14%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.2K RSD 3.0M

29.12%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$27.4K RSD 2.8M

19.25%

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

$188 €162

$141 RSD 14.2K

33.22%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$16.68 RSD 1,681

37.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$22.71 RSD 2,289

61.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$29.35 RSD 2,958

95.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$18.77 RSD 1,892

10.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.80 RSD 484

133.13%

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

$721 €621

$239 RSD 24.1K

201.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,050 RSD 509.0K

197.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$90.2 RSD 9,090

-4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$46.77 RSD 4,714

-20.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$93.6 RSD 9,435

8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$104 RSD 10.5K

11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$401 RSD 40.4K

282.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$286 RSD 28.8K

326.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$567 RSD 57.2K

375.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$412 RSD 41.6K

388.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,613 RSD 263.3K

176.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,894 RSD 190.9K

173.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$907 RSD 91.4K

160.17%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nis: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $401 in Nis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 160% 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 $30.00 in Nis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 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 131% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,023 including rent). Nis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 160% 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 $401 in Nis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,023 in Nis versus $2,367 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 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.