Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ankara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ankara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Barcelona vs $1,281 in Ankara, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,426 per month in Barcelona vs $1,825 in Ankara, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,532 per month in Barcelona vs $2,370 in Ankara, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 81% more than Ankara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barcelona sits 74% above the global median, while Ankara is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$9.60 ₺453

83.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$37.78 ₺1,782

84.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.76 ₺413

61.64%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.16 ₺149

-11.39%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.21 ₺57.3

132.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.39 ₺18.17

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.21 ₺151

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.92 ₺185

19.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.01 ₺47.63

21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.71 ₺33.39

185.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.30 ₺108

-13.91%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.27 ₺107

53.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.32 ₺440

96.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.97 ₺282

64.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$19.67 ₺928

-2.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.45 ₺68.6

88.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.29 ₺108

3.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.33 ₺62.6

56.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.48 ₺69.8

85.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.68 ₺31.99

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.62 ₺29.07

188.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.13 ₺53.4

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.42 ₺19.92

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.14 ₺101

233.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.72 ₺553

-32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.02 ₺95.4

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.24 ₺153

-26.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.64 ₺30.40

370.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$9.55 ₺451

207.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.93 ₺43.71

368.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.61 ₺28.57

249.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.18 ₺291

378.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.18 ₺55.8

54.24%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$43.3K ₺2.0M

-12.57%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$42.9K ₺2.0M

-24.60%

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

$189 €166

$84.2 ₺3,971

124.61%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$10.61 ₺501

110.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$13.79 ₺651

169.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$54.8 ₺2,586

5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.53 ₺686

42.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.25 ₺295

73.92%

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

$706 €618

$602 ₺28.4K

17.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.4K ₺634.3K

10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$58.3 ₺2,751

53.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$45.23 ₺2,134

-19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$107 ₺5,063

-3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$98.7 ₺4,658

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$726 ₺34.3K

117.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$523 ₺24.7K

136.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,091 ₺51.5K

148.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$703 ₺33.2K

190.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,716 ₺81.0K

338.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,137 ₺53.7K

360.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,095 ₺51.7K

115.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

48.4

-93.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ankara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,579 in Barcelona versus $726 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 116% higher in Barcelona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Barcelona versus $38.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $239 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 81% more than Ankara, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,480 per month in Barcelona and $1,921 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Barcelona and $602 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Barcelona, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Barcelona at $2,320. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,281 versus $2,320 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ankara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.