Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulcinj Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulcinj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,271 in Ulcinj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,958 in Ulcinj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,646 in Ulcinj.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 95% more expensive than in Ulcinj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ulcinj is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$11.48 €10.00

63.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$37.09 €32.31

87.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$8.25 €7.18

66.91%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.28 €1.99

35.96%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.26 €1.97

25.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.63 €1.42

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.28 €1.99

74.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.43 €2.99

32.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.18 €1.03

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.66 €0.58

227.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.88 €2.51

-38.89%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.98 €1.73

159.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$9.12 €7.95

96.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.67 €6.68

25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$13.33 €11.61

51.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.38 €1.20

135.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.60 €1.39

39.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.05 €0.91

147.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.24 €1.08

122.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.73 €0.63

202.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.29 €1.12

64.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.49 €1.30

4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.96 €0.84

-1.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.93 €3.42

86.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$4.49 €3.91

79.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.31 €1.14

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.79 €1.56

55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.64 €1.43

89.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$46.24 €40.28

-44.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.19 €1.04

174.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.18 €1.03

25.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$17.48 €15.23

96.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.65 €1.44

4.85%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.1K €29.7K

6.55%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.5K €18.8K

41.76%

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

$187 €163

$136 €119

37.10%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$13.40 €11.67

12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$26.11 €22.75

44.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$22.85 €19.91

144.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$16.13 €14.05

5.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$8.14 €7.09

40.17%

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

$997 €868

$461 €402

116.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,298 €6,358

126.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$87.9 €76.6

5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$34.45 €30.02

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$76.1 €66.3

46.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$98.0 €85.3

27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$722 €629

136.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$509 €443

152.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,413 €1,231

81.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$983 €856

97.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,459 €3,013

121.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$2,404 €2,094

114.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-36.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ulcinj: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $722 in Ulcinj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Ulcinj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $212 per month, with Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ulcinj differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,271 including rent). Ulcinj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,906 in Ulcinj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $722 in Ulcinj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $461 in Ulcinj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Ulcinj versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulcinj but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.