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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,837 in Olsztyn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,797 in Olsztyn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,758 in Olsztyn.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 35% more expensive than in Olsztyn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Olsztyn 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$13.40 zł 49.89

37.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$53.4 zł 199

30.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.59 zł 35.72

46.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.53 zł 13.14

-11.90%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.66 zł 9.90

11.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.98 zł 7.35

-1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.15 zł 11.72

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.05 zł 15.10

14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.12 zł 4.18

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.37 zł 5.11

54.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.45 zł 5.40

26.21%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.95 zł 14.70

30.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.49 zł 39.07

67.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$7.63 zł 28.42

24.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.60 zł 58.1

27.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.28 zł 4.78

147.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.69 zł 6.30

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.97 zł 7.34

32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.70 zł 13.77

-22.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.99 zł 3.68

119.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.30 zł 4.84

62.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.45 zł 5.40

11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.76 zł 2.82

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.82 zł 21.65

23.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.85 zł 29.23

6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.14 zł 4.25

31.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.65 zł 6.14

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.09 zł 4.06

188.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$27.15 zł 101

-3.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.10 zł 7.81

53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.77 zł 2.88

96.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$10.67 zł 39.74

230.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.66 zł 6.19

5.42%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$33.3K zł 123.8K

10.23%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$31.0K zł 115.6K

2.03%

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

$187 €161

$313 zł 1,166

-40.24%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.13 zł 37.71

49.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$19.00 zł 70.7

97.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$54.3 zł 202

2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$23.55 zł 87.7

-28.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.28 zł 34.55

26.19%

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

$1,011 €871

$401 zł 1,492

152.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$14.9K zł 55.6K

14.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$105 zł 393

-13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$50.9 zł 190

-19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$106 zł 394

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$112 zł 416

12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$934 zł 3,478

82.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$738 zł 2,746

76.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,835 zł 6,832

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,428 zł 5,318

35.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$3,917 zł 14.6K

97.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,774 zł 10.3K

94.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,451 zł 5,403

63.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.52

-57.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $934 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 64% 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 $53.0 in Olsztyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $251 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 35% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,837 including rent). Olsztyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $934 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $401 in Olsztyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Olsztyn versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,500 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 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.