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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $835 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,639 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 187% more expensive than Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Ulyanovsk is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$8.96 ₽649

97.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$31.41 ₽2,276

123.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$5.61 ₽407

143.49%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.36 ₽171

16.10%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.07 ₽77.5

160.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.45 ₽32.81

335.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.86 ₽62.4

406.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.61 ₽117

184.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.12 ₽81.3

15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.59 ₽42.93

247.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.19 ₽86.1

66.39%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.57 ₽114

115.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$9.08 ₽658

105.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$4.57 ₽331

109.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$8.67 ₽629

117.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.26 ₽91.2

118.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.54 ₽112

60.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.46 ₽105

43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.72 ₽125

63.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.62 ₽45.02

225.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.42 ₽30.46

340.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.74 ₽126

-13.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.50 ₽36.32

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$1.37 ₽99.4

415.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$4.89 ₽355

63.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.93 ₽67.5

53.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.82 ₽132

25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.43 ₽31.33

569.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$1.91 ₽139

129.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.18 ₽12.88

1088.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$3.73 ₽270

681.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.76 ₽55.2

144.74%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$48.6K ₽3.5M

-19.88%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$43.5K ₽3.2M

-24.87%

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

$189 €163

$101 ₽7,343

86.60%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$5.43 ₽393

318.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$5.52 ₽400

561.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$35.87 ₽2,599

60.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.20 ₽304

157.38%

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

$726 €625

$90.0 ₽6,520

707.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$5,988 ₽433.9K

152.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$99.3 ₽7,193

-11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$48.17 ₽3,491

-23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$88.2 ₽6,392

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$77.2 ₽5,594

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$320 ₽23.2K

391.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$231 ₽16.8K

427.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$567 ₽41.1K

377.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$310 ₽22.5K

533.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,455 ₽177.9K

218.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,442 ₽104.5K

265.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$743 ₽53.8K

219.76%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $320 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 220% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 187% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $835 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 220% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $320 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $90.0 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 $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $835 in Ulyanovsk versus $2,399 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 187% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.