Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Asmara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Asmara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,178 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,884 in Asmara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 58% more expensive than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Asmara 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.50 ERN 188

41.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$29.48 ERN 443

136.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.86 ERN 88.0

141.64%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$0.80 ERN 12.03

250.00%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.88 ERN 28.22

49.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.34 ERN 20.18

53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.03 ERN 15.41

346.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.99 ERN 29.89

135.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.66 ERN 24.95

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.48 ERN 7.23

322.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.97 ERN 29.60

0.51%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.47 ERN 67.2

-21.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.06 ERN 46.03

499.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$26.59 ERN 400

-63.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.04 ERN 151

90.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$12.00 ERN 180

-77.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.25 ERN 18.83

90.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.94 ERN 29.19

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.25 ERN 18.81

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.74 ERN 26.22

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.10 ERN 16.46

62.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.66 ERN 9.91

124.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$2.19 ERN 32.98

-58.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.01 ERN 30.28

254.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$22.69 ERN 341

-65.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.02 ERN 15.26

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.20 ERN 18.09

99.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.14 ERN 2.10

2050.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$7.78 ERN 117

277.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.69 ERN 10.39

531.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.65 ERN 9.75

227.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.09 ERN 122

265.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.19 ERN 32.93

-16.89%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

-42.15%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

-54.06%

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

$189 €166

$27.41 ERN 412

589.64%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$67.3 ERN 1,012

-66.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$196 ERN 2,953

-81.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.92 ERN 405

115.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$7.69 ERN 116

168.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$1.07 ERN 16.06

915.89%

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

$706 €618

$24.81 ERN 373

2745.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

793.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$83.5 ERN 1,255

7.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$75.8 ERN 1,139

-51.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$197 ERN 2,956

-47.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$94.1 ERN 1,414

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$476 ERN 7,156

231.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$398 ERN 5,980

211.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$729 ERN 11.0K

272.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$647 ERN 9,729

215.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

237.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

134.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$997 ERN 15.0K

137.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-71.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $476 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 137% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $390, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Asmara differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,472 including rent). Asmara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $476 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asmara runs roughly 277% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $24.81 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Asmara versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Asmara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Asmara 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, Barcelona and Asmara 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 Asmara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.