Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minsk and Barysaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Barysaw: $782 a month against $1,020 in Minsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Minsk
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Minsk Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Barysaw
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Barysaw Living Index

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Minsk

🇧🇾 Belarus

$1,020

/mo nomad

Barysaw

🇧🇾 Belarus

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Minsk and in Barysaw

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Minsk versus $782 in Barysaw.

Minsk $1,020
Barysaw $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,662 in Minsk versus $1,237 in Barysaw.

Minsk $1,662
Barysaw $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Minsk versus $1,692 in Barysaw.

Minsk $2,303
Barysaw $1,692

Living in Minsk is roughly 30% more expensive than in Barysaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Minsk 24% lower, Barysaw 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 BYN 29.91

$6.41 BYN 19.22

55.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.01 BYN 147

$28.95 BYN 86.8

69.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 BYN 20.60

$4.31 BYN 12.94

59.40%

Cappuccino

$2.31 BYN 6.92

$1.55 BYN 4.66

49.03%

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

$0.92 BYN 2.77

$0.61 BYN 1.83

50.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 BYN 1.76

$0.32 BYN 0.96

84.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 BYN 5.01

$1.18 BYN 3.53

41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 BYN 7.61

$2.43 BYN 7.29

4.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 BYN 2.68

$0.73 BYN 2.19

21.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 BYN 2.02

$0.61 BYN 1.83

9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 BYN 3.78

$1.08 BYN 3.23

16.67%

Eggs

$1.64 BYN 4.91

$1.35 BYN 4.06

21.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 BYN 23.71

$6.84 BYN 20.52

15.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 BYN 16.00

$4.00 BYN 12.01

33.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 BYN 33.50

$5.99 BYN 17.98

86.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 BYN 4.72

$1.19 BYN 3.58

31.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 BYN 5.25

$1.81 BYN 5.43

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 BYN 6.43

$1.82 BYN 5.46

17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 BYN 8.11

$1.69 BYN 5.06

59.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 BYN 1.92

$0.41 BYN 1.24

56.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 BYN 2.33

$0.63 BYN 1.88

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 BYN 4.22

$0.94 BYN 2.81

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BYN 2.02

$0.46 BYN 1.37

45.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 BYN 8.07

$1.95 BYN 5.84

37.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 BYN 25.42

$7.66 BYN 22.99

10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 BYN 3.10

$1.51 BYN 4.52

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BYN 5.94

$2.11 BYN 6.34

-6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 BYN 1.02

$0.34 BYN 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.79 BYN 56.4

$14.16 BYN 42.47

32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BYN 5.04

$0.71 BYN 2.12

136.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 BYN 1.46

$0.49 BYN 1.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 BYN 29.69

$10.09 BYN 30.27

-1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 BYN 2.75

$0.84 BYN 2.53

9.52%

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

$21.6K BYN 64.8K

$19.3K BYN 57.8K

12.19%

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

$22.5K BYN 67.5K

$19.5K BYN 58.5K

15.47%

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

$61.5 BYN 185

$70.4 BYN 211

-12.59%

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

$8.64 BYN 25.91

$7.20 BYN 21.59

20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 BYN 40.72

$11.46 BYN 34.38

18.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.89 BYN 114

$36.18 BYN 109

4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.71 BYN 62.1

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 BYN 18.28

$3.24 BYN 9.71

87.96%

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

$397 BYN 1,190

$327 BYN 980

21.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K BYN 73.1K

$9,934 BYN 29.8K

145.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 BYN 157

$44.37 BYN 133

17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 BYN 134

$46.27 BYN 139

-3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 BYN 327

$89.3 BYN 268

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 BYN 330

$103 BYN 309

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 BYN 1,785

$342 BYN 1,025

74.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 BYN 1,131

$254 BYN 762

48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 BYN 3,102

$578 BYN 1,733

79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 BYN 2,183

$499 BYN 1,497

45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,554 BYN 7,661

$1,087 BYN 3,261

134.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 BYN 5,048

$876 BYN 2,628

92.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$957 BYN 2,872

$639 BYN 1,918

49.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.93

13.79%

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

Last update for Minsk: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barysaw: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Minsk

$377 37%

Barysaw

$254 32.5% 32.7% $123

Groceries & Markets

Minsk

$195 19.1%

Barysaw

$153 19.6% 21.5% $42

Eating Out

Minsk

$148 14.5%

Barysaw

$97 12.4% 34.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Minsk

$142 13.9%

Barysaw

$127 16.3% 10.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minsk

$84 8.2%

Barysaw

$89 11.4% 6.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Minsk

$50 4.9%

Barysaw

$43 5.5% 14.8% $7.4

Getting Around

Minsk

$24 2.4%

Barysaw

$19 2.4% 22.9% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Minsk and $342 in Barysaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Minsk pays 50% 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: $49.00 in Minsk vs $29.00 in Barysaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $153 per month, with Barysaw cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇾 Minsk

🇧🇾 Barysaw

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

Same time as Minsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,992,862 Capital

143,051

💱 Currency

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Minsk Barysaw 72 km

From you

Minsk
Barysaw

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

Minsk vs Barysaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barysaw is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Minsk, 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: $595 in Minsk versus $342 in Barysaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Minsk versus $782 in Barysaw – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barysaw runs roughly 33% less than in Minsk. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Barysaw versus $1,020 in Minsk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barysaw but tight or insufficient in Minsk. The gap between the two cities makes Barysaw the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barysaw is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Minsk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Minsk and Barysaw 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 Barysaw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Minsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.