Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Biella Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Biella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $1,519 in Biella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Ljubljana versus $2,345 in Biella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Ljubljana versus $3,172 in Biella.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 35% more expensive than in Biella, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 54% above, Biella 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €15.10

$15.56 €13.62

10.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.9

$72.1 €63.2

-3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.28

$11.45 €10.03

-17.47%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.26

$1.67 €1.46

54.49%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$3.49 €3.05

-12.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.30 €1.14

52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.37

$5.07 €4.44

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.68 €4.10

-1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.47 €1.29

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.90

$2.11 €1.85

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$2.26 €1.98

27.43%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.39

$4.16 €3.64

-6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 €11.72

$14.59 €12.78

-8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 €9.37

$9.61 €8.42

11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.17

$23.20 €20.32

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.43 €2.13

-16.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.72 €1.51

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.76 €1.54

22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.10

$3.44 €3.02

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.65 €1.44

-16.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.72 €1.50

-5.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.34 €1.18

27.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.43 €0.37

130.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 €5.23

$7.06 €6.18

-15.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 €7.35

$6.88 €6.02

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.16 €1.89

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$2.78 €2.43

-26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.95 €1.71

-25.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €37.01

$38.44 €33.66

9.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 €1.96

$11.41 €9.99

-80.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.02 €1.77

-42.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 €17.51

$57.8 €50.7

-65.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.00 €1.75

-13.00%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$27.8K €24.3K

3.95%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$32.8K €28.7K

-11.74%

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

$279 €244

$250 €219

11.45%

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

$18.60 €16.29

$7.10 €6.22

161.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.84 €33.14

$30.59 €26.79

23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €46.20

$69.5 €60.9

-24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 €15.80

$25.69 €22.50

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.99

$9.36 €8.20

-2.56%

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

$541 €474

$567 €496

-4.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.4K

$7,987 €6,995

77.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100.0 €87.5

$92.0 €80.6

8.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €40.47

$37.83 €33.13

22.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$81.3 €71.2

27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €121

$117 €102

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €878

$470 €412

112.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €745

$400 €351

112.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,813

$769 €673

169.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,286

$627 €549

134.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,373 €5,581

$1,667 €1,460

282.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,903 €4,294

$856 €749

473.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,018 €1,767

$1,857 €1,626

8.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

4.47

-14.09%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: July 12, 2026

Last update for Biella: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Ljubljana and $470 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 9% 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: $69.0 in Ljubljana vs $72.0 in Biella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $319 per month, with Ljubljana 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

Ljubljana vs Biella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ljubljana and Biella differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,054 vs $1,519 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,002 in Ljubljana versus $470 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Ljubljana versus $567 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ljubljana pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,519 in Biella versus $2,054 in Ljubljana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biella but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Biella 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, Ljubljana and Biella 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 Biella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.