Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Olsztyn Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Olsztyn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,455 in Olsztyn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Olsztyn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,506 in Olsztyn.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 59% more expensive than in Olsztyn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Olsztyn 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$10.64 zł 40.43

65.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$46.03 zł 175

51.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$7.54 zł 28.63

87.80%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.02 zł 11.48

-7.28%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.69 zł 6.41

66.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.90 zł 7.23

8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.30 zł 12.53

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.83 zł 14.55

22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.05 zł 3.99

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.36 zł 5.17

49.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.49 zł 5.66

32.89%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.27 zł 12.42

6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.87 zł 33.68

106.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.02 zł 22.86

63.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$9.81 zł 37.24

95.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.14 zł 4.33

139.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.50 zł 5.68

58.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.01 zł 7.63

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.69 zł 10.22

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.75 zł 2.85

161.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.19 zł 4.53

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.15 zł 4.39

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.73 zł 2.78

24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$5.44 zł 20.66

31.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.04 zł 30.54

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 zł 3.75

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.71 zł 6.50

39.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.07 zł 4.05

181.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$27.54 zł 105

6.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.99 zł 7.56

119.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.71 zł 2.71

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$13.84 zł 52.6

113.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.75 zł 6.65

4.00%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$33.3K zł 126.3K

13.90%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$31.2K zł 118.4K

3.84%

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

$189 €165

$278 zł 1,055

-31.95%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$9.00 zł 34.20

147.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$17.01 zł 64.6

118.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$32.99 zł 125

75.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$16.57 zł 62.9

24.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$8.12 zł 30.83

33.87%

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

$706 €618

$136 zł 516

419.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$15.8K zł 60.0K

-5.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$96.4 zł 366

-7.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$47.27 zł 180

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$80.9 zł 307

28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$111 zł 423

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$640 zł 2,432

146.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$532 zł 2,020

132.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$958 zł 3,638

183.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$596 zł 2,264

242.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$3,909 zł 14.8K

92.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,714 zł 10.3K

93.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,425 zł 5,413

65.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.81

-41.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $640 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 66% 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 $46.00 in Olsztyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 per month, with Olsztyn 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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Olsztyn differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,455 including rent). Olsztyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% 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 $640 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $136 in Olsztyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,455 in Olsztyn versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Olsztyn but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Olsztyn 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 Olsztyn 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 Olsztyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.