Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulyanovsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulyanovsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $894 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,368 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,843 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 177% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ulyanovsk is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$11.85 ₽1,002

58.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$29.44 ₽2,487

135.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.27 ₽530

119.62%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.50 ₽211

24.00%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.90 ₽76.2

214.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.37 ₽31.46

408.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.74 ₽147

128.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.93 ₽163

134.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.02 ₽86.4

24.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.57 ₽47.78

278.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.05 ₽88.9

67.62%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.40 ₽118

266.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.90 ₽921

64.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.45 ₽376

116.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.71 ₽821

107.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.51 ₽128

115.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.56 ₽132

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.90 ₽161

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.03 ₽256

-8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.84 ₽70.9

163.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.55 ₽46.50

285.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.44 ₽122

7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.69 ₽58.0

37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.92 ₽247

151.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.75 ₽655

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.01 ₽85.3

52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.85 ₽156

50.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.43 ₽36.06

623.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.31 ₽196

41.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.51 ₽43.20

190.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.02 ₽593

388.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.76 ₽64.4

127.63%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.1K ₽3.1M

0.69%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$41.9K ₽3.5M

-27.10%

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

$187 €163

$126 ₽10.6K

48.74%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$5.98 ₽505

153.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$7.07 ₽598

433.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$34.97 ₽2,955

59.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$24.82 ₽2,097

-31.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.59 ₽557

73.14%

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

$997 €869

$285 ₽24.1K

249.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,488 ₽548.2K

154.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$29.05 ₽2,454

218.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$36.02 ₽3,043

14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$94.6 ₽7,989

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$59.4 ₽5,015

110.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$353 ₽29.9K

383.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$238 ₽20.1K

439.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$469 ₽39.7K

446.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$410 ₽34.6K

373.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,612 ₽220.7K

192.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,500 ₽126.7K

244.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$502 ₽42.4K

368.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

20.8

-84.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 368% 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 $29.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $191 per month, with Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ulyanovsk differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $894 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 368% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $285 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $894 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.