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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,464 in Olsztyn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,997 in Olsztyn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,531 in Olsztyn.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 62% more expensive than Olsztyn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Olsztyn 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$10.65 zł 38.84

65.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$46.46 zł 169

47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.51 zł 27.37

87.22%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.96 zł 10.80

-6.08%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.69 zł 6.16

65.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.84 zł 6.69

11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.27 zł 11.94

36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.82 zł 13.93

20.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.10 zł 4.03

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.32 zł 4.82

53.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.50 zł 5.46

28.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.45 zł 12.59

-4.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.89 zł 32.40

107.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.01 zł 21.92

57.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.06 zł 36.69

90.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.10 zł 4.00

140.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.58 zł 5.75

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.04 zł 7.43

3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.78 zł 10.14

2.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.79 zł 2.89

158.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.24 zł 4.50

49.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.15 zł 4.19

27.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.68 zł 2.46

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.57 zł 20.30

28.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.14 zł 29.68

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.02 zł 3.71

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.71 zł 6.23

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.12 zł 4.08

166.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$27.10 zł 98.8

7.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.98 zł 7.21

132.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.74 zł 2.69

179.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$13.79 zł 50.3

111.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.78 zł 6.48

3.37%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.8K zł 119.4K

19.11%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.8K zł 112.3K

6.15%

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

$188 €162

$271 zł 989

-30.77%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.10 zł 33.18

151.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$17.49 zł 63.7

109.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$32.68 zł 119

75.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$16.36 zł 59.6

26.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$8.01 zł 29.18

39.70%

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

$721 €620

$133 zł 486

440.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$15.6K zł 56.8K

-3.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$96.0 zł 350

-10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$46.72 zł 170

-20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$82.9 zł 302

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$108 zł 394

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$640 zł 2,332

139.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$551 zł 2,007

121.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$979 zł 3,568

175.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$608 zł 2,218

230.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,992 zł 14.6K

80.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,823 zł 10.3K

83.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,472 zł 5,364

60.32%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $640 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 60% 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 $46.00 in Olsztyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $210 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 62% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,464 including rent). Olsztyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 60% 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 $640 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $133 in Olsztyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,464 in Olsztyn versus $2,367 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 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.