Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al Mukalla

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $842 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Al Mukalla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $842 in Al Mukalla.

Barcelona $2,381
Al Mukalla $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,654 in Al Mukalla.

Barcelona $3,406
Al Mukalla $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,466 in Al Mukalla.

Barcelona $4,431
Al Mukalla $2,466

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Al Mukalla is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$16.88 YER 3,983

5.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$84.8 YER 20.0K

-22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$8.45 YER 1,992

-63.79%

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

$3.07 €2.73

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.89 YER 210

117.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$10.58 YER 2,496

-56.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$15.08 YER 3,557

15.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$25.73 YER 6,070

-63.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$58.5 YER 13.8K

-66.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$14.61 YER 3,446

-79.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$6.37 YER 1,503

-68.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$4.94 YER 1,165

-46.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$3.29 YER 776

-12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$7.71 YER 1,818

-71.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$4.15 YER 978

-48.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$2.58 YER 609

-65.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Al Mukalla

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Al Mukalla

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Al Mukalla

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Al Mukalla

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $602 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

176,942

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Al Mukalla 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Al Mukalla

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

Barcelona vs Al Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Barcelona and $1,262 in Al Mukalla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 85% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $842 in Al Mukalla versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Al Mukalla 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 Al Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.