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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $840 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,254 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 181% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ulyanovsk is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$9.09 ₽724

88.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$31.30 ₽2,491

117.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.55 ₽442

145.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.31 ₽184

20.35%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.06 ₽84.0

166.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.48 ₽38.32

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.86 ₽68.6

415.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.60 ₽127

188.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.11 ₽88.5

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.64 ₽50.8

232.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.19 ₽94.8

67.23%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.51 ₽120

123.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.12 ₽726

107.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.78 ₽380

99.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$8.62 ₽686

117.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.30 ₽103

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.51 ₽120

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.50 ₽119

39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.68 ₽134

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.67 ₽53.5

192.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.42 ₽33.78

330.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.72 ₽137

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.50 ₽40.14

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.41 ₽112

380.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.52 ₽359

75.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.90 ₽71.9

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.76 ₽140

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.44 ₽34.94

561.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.93 ₽154

137.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.17 ₽13.85

1100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.87 ₽308

642.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.74 ₽59.2

145.95%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$47.9K ₽3.8M

-17.86%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$44.0K ₽3.5M

-26.12%

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

$187 €162

$102 ₽8,127

82.77%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.65 ₽450

294.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$5.60 ₽446

549.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.23 ₽2,804

63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.05 ₽322

165.93%

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

$725 €628

$87.8 ₽6,990

725.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,071 ₽483.2K

149.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$101 ₽8,022

-12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$47.28 ₽3,763

-22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$88.7 ₽7,058

16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$77.4 ₽6,160

53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$317 ₽25.2K

380.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$231 ₽18.3K

432.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$569 ₽45.2K

379.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$300 ₽23.9K

561.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,226 ₽177.2K

235.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,328 ₽105.7K

294.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$674 ₽53.6K

254.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

15.33

-77.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $317 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 255% 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 $31.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $168 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 181% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $840 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 255% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $317 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $87.8 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 $31.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $840 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,359 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 181% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.