Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kosice and Bratislava

For one person, living is cheaper in Kosice: $1,807 a month against $1,876 in Bratislava, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Bratislava despite lower rent and utilities.

87

Cost of Living Index in Kosice
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Kosice Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Bratislava
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Bratislava Living Index

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Kosice

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,807

/mo nomad

Bratislava

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kosice and in Bratislava

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in Kosice versus $1,876 in Bratislava.

Kosice $1,807
Bratislava $1,876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Kosice versus $2,844 in Bratislava.

Kosice $2,573
Bratislava $2,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,340 in Kosice versus $3,812 in Bratislava.

Kosice $3,340
Bratislava $3,812

Living in Kosice costs roughly 4% less than in Bratislava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kosice 33% above, Bratislava 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.24 €9.17

$11.26 €10.08

-9.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €50.9

$67.9 €60.9

-16.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 €7.95

$10.58 €9.47

-16.07%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.17

$3.46 €3.10

2.31%

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

$1.96 €1.75

$2.40 €2.15

-18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.73 €1.55

-19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.29 €2.95

-13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$3.33 €2.98

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.11 €1.00

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.96 €1.75

-22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.24 €2.00

-8.48%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.49

$4.55 €4.07

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €11.38

$15.11 €13.53

-15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 €6.92

$9.28 €8.31

-16.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.62 €11.30

$14.32 €12.82

-11.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.27 €2.03

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.88 €1.69

12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.78 €2.49

-17.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €4.02

$4.93 €4.42

-9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.60 €1.43

-18.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.46 €1.30

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.77 €1.59

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.95 €0.85

-12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €6.08

$6.70 €6.00

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.88

$7.06 €6.33

-22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.85

$1.06 €0.95

-10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.96 €1.76

-6.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.36 €1.22

-4.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.54 €30.04

$44.38 €39.75

-24.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 €1.47

$7.12 €6.37

-76.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.66 €1.49

-24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 €20.17

$33.03 €29.58

-31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.86 €1.67

4.30%

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

$25.0K €22.4K

$26.1K €23.4K

-4.08%

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

$26.3K €23.6K

$26.3K €23.5K

0.29%

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

$329 €295

$257 €230

28.05%

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

$19.55 €17.51

$22.39 €20.05

-12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.04 €17.95

$19.35 €17.33

3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 €43.39

$56.3 €50.5

-14.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 €14.69

$23.02 €20.62

-28.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 €8.63

$12.09 €10.83

-20.26%

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

$418 €375

$813 €729

-48.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,549

$18.8K €16.9K

-43.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 €62.3

$101 €90.7

-31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 €27.07

$40.09 €35.91

-24.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 €73.2

$102 €91.7

-20.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 €82.7

$109 €97.3

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 €790

$1,038 €930

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 €679

$770 €690

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 €1,486

$1,907 €1,708

-13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €1,044

$1,369 €1,226

-14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,207 €3,768

$6,240 €5,588

-32.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,080 €2,758

$4,056 €3,632

-24.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,501 €1,344

$1,647 €1,475

-8.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.51

7.98%

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

Last update for Kosice: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bratislava: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kosice

$758 42%

Bratislava

$770 41% 1.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kosice

$369 20.4%

Bratislava

$299 15.9% 19% $70

Groceries & Markets

Kosice

$260 14.4%

Bratislava

$301 16% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Kosice

$183 10.1%

Bratislava

$203 10.8% 10.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Kosice

$123 6.8%

Bratislava

$159 8.5% 28.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kosice

$68 3.8%

Bratislava

$81 4.3% 18.9% $13

Getting Around

Kosice

$47 2.6%

Bratislava

$65 3.5% 39.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $882 in Kosice and $1,038 in Bratislava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bratislava pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Kosice vs $68 in Bratislava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $301 per month, with Kosice cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇰 Kosice

🇸🇰 Bratislava

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

Same time as Kosice

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

238,593

432,801 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kosice Bratislava 310 km

From you

Kosice
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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

Kosice vs Bratislava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kosice wins on cost – living expenses run 4% 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.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Kosice. 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: $882 in Kosice versus $1,038 in Bratislava. 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 $57 versus $68 in Bratislava. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,807 per month in Kosice versus $1,876 in Bratislava – Kosice is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kosice gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kosice delivers better value at $1,807 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kosice hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kosice and Bratislava are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kosice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bratislava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.