Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,528 in Bialystok versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Bialystok versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Bialystok versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Bialystok costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bialystok 11% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 zł 37.90

$18.39 €15.83

-44.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.08 zł 179

$69.2 €59.5

-30.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 zł 35.15

$14.13 €12.16

-33.05%

Cappuccino

$3.86 zł 14.35

$3.13 €2.70

23.32%

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

$1.90 zł 7.06

$3.02 €2.59

-37.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 zł 6.10

$1.96 €1.69

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 zł 13.73

$4.00 €3.44

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 zł 12.14

$4.76 €4.10

-31.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 zł 4.14

$1.25 €1.07

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 zł 4.05

$2.16 €1.86

-49.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 zł 8.71

$1.69 €1.45

39.05%

Eggs

$3.98 zł 14.79

$4.93 €4.24

-19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 zł 35.12

$17.88 €15.39

-47.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 zł 22.69

$9.61 €8.27

-36.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.65 zł 43.29

$19.34 €16.64

-39.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 4.91

$3.24 €2.78

-59.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 zł 6.90

$2.18 €1.87

-14.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.43

$2.67 €2.30

-35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 zł 7.64

$2.77 €2.39

-25.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 zł 4.28

$2.21 €1.90

-47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 zł 4.74

$2.19 €1.88

-41.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 zł 4.59

$1.52 €1.31

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.19

$0.92 €0.79

-35.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 zł 20.26

$7.12 €6.13

-23.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 zł 24.94

$8.14 €7.00

-17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 zł 4.55

$1.50 €1.29

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 zł 5.64

$2.78 €2.39

-45.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.31

$3.15 €2.71

-63.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.38 zł 131

$26.99 €23.23

31.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 zł 7.90

$3.25 €2.80

-34.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 zł 2.67

$1.50 €1.29

-52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.58 zł 50.4

$34.89 €30.03

-61.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 zł 5.90

$1.75 €1.50

-9.14%

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

$32.6K zł 121.0K

$36.7K €31.5K

-11.11%

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

$28.5K zł 105.7K

$30.9K €26.6K

-8.01%

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

$314 zł 1,165

$188 €161

67.12%

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

$8.66 zł 32.16

$15.44 €13.29

-43.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 zł 69.8

$37.80 €32.52

-50.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 zł 159

$57.2 €49.21

-25.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 zł 108

$16.80 €14.45

73.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 zł 26.31

$11.58 €9.96

-38.86%

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

$376 zł 1,397

$1,003 €863

-62.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,452 zł 16.5K

$17.0K €14.6K

-73.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 zł 383

$89.2 €76.8

15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 zł 141

$40.87 €35.17

-6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 zł 338

$110 €94.6

-17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 zł 352

$123 €106

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 zł 2,092

$1,673 €1,440

-66.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 zł 1,966

$1,331 €1,146

-60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 zł 3,185

$2,596 €2,234

-66.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 zł 2,836

$1,950 €1,678

-60.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 zł 10.5K

$7,573 €6,517

-62.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,386 zł 8,861

$5,370 €4,621

-55.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,504 zł 5,585

$2,402 €2,067

-37.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

3.16

123.73%

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

Last update for Bialystok: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $563 in Bialystok and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 60% 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: $48.00 in Bialystok vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $332 per month, with Bialystok 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

Bialystok vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bialystok and Barcelona differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,528 vs $2,495 including rent). Bialystok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $563 in Bialystok versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $376 in Bialystok versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,528 in Bialystok versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bialystok but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bialystok 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, Bialystok and Barcelona 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 Bialystok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.