Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bratislava and Kosice

For one person, living is cheaper in Kosice: $1,751 a month against $1,882 in Bratislava, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Bratislava
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Bratislava Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Kosice
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Kosice Living Index

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Bratislava

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,882

/mo nomad

Kosice

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bratislava and in Kosice

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bratislava and in Kosice actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,882 in Bratislava versus $1,751 in Kosice.

Bratislava $1,882
Kosice $1,751

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Bratislava versus $2,537 in Kosice.

Bratislava $2,803
Kosice $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Bratislava versus $3,323 in Kosice.

Bratislava $3,723
Kosice $3,323

Living in Bratislava is roughly 7% more expensive than in Kosice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bratislava 39% above, Kosice 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$9.84 €8.75

11.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €59.6

$55.1 €49.00

21.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 €9.41

$8.89 €7.91

19.01%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.14

$3.44 €3.06

2.62%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.05 €1.82

11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.46 €1.30

19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.01

$2.83 €2.52

19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.03

$2.17 €1.93

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.08 €0.96

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.53 €1.36

28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.05 €1.83

-9.76%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.88

$3.81 €3.39

14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 €13.92

$12.62 €11.23

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 €7.69

$7.68 €6.83

12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 €12.91

$12.77 €11.36

13.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.72 €1.53

27.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.14 €1.90

-9.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.38 €2.12

15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 €3.99

$4.54 €4.04

-1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.36 €1.21

19.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.50 €1.33

-0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.66 €1.48

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.81 €0.72

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.90

$6.49 €5.77

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 €5.96

$5.64 €5.02

18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.01 €0.90

7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.81 €1.61

8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.20 €1.06

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.72 €40.66

$33.57 €29.86

36.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.06 €6.28

$1.71 €1.52

312.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.26 €1.12

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 €29.79

$22.43 €19.95

49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.90 €1.69

3.16%

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

$26.5K €23.6K

$26.4K €23.5K

0.37%

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

$25.5K €22.7K

$23.7K €21.0K

7.74%

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

$266 €236

$337 €300

-21.14%

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

$22.17 €19.72

$19.12 €17.01

15.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 €16.62

$20.34 €18.10

-8.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 €50.5

$50.2 €44.64

13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 €19.91

$16.58 €14.75

34.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 €10.88

$9.53 €8.47

28.44%

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

$843 €750

$414 €368

103.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K €16.5K

$10.4K €9,269

77.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.4

$68.8 €61.2

44.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.05 €36.52

$30.04 €26.72

36.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.4

$82.3 €73.2

22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.3

$93.0 €82.7

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 €934

$905 €805

16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 €689

$696 €619

11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 €1,570

$1,627 €1,447

8.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 €1,150

$1,153 €1,026

12.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,246 €5,556

$3,955 €3,518

57.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,004 €3,562

$2,833 €2,520

41.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,708 €1,520

$1,502 €1,336

13.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.48

3.79

-8.18%

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

Last update for Bratislava: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kosice: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bratislava

$774 41.1%

Kosice

$696 39.7% 10.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bratislava

$307 16.3%

Kosice

$376 21.5% 22.8% $70

Groceries & Markets

Bratislava

$294 15.7%

Kosice

$261 14.9% 11.3% $33

Eating Out

Bratislava

$202 10.7%

Kosice

$179 10.2% 11.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Bratislava

$157 8.4%

Kosice

$123 7% 21.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Bratislava

$81 4.3%

Kosice

$69 4% 14.8% $12

Getting Around

Bratislava

$67 3.6%

Kosice

$46 2.7% 30.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,050 in Bratislava and $905 in Kosice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bratislava pays 14% 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: $67.0 in Bratislava vs $55.0 in Kosice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $261 per month, with Kosice cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇰 Bratislava

🇸🇰 Kosice

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

Same time as Bratislava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

432,801 Capital

238,593

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bratislava vs Kosice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kosice wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Bratislava. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kosice the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Bratislava, 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: $1,050 in Bratislava versus $905 in Kosice. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kosice – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $67.0 in Bratislava. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,882 per month in Bratislava versus $1,751 in Kosice – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,751 in Kosice versus $1,882 in Bratislava, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kosice but tight or insufficient in Bratislava. The gap between the two cities makes Kosice the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kosice delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,751 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kosice hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bratislava and Kosice 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 Kosice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bratislava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.