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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,483 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,175 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,866 in Asmara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 60% more expensive than Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Asmara 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.52 ERN 188

40.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$30.40 ERN 457

125.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.14 ERN 92.3

128.99%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$0.74 ERN 11.10

275.68%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.88 ERN 28.26

48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 ERN 20.45

51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.02 ERN 15.32

337.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.04 ERN 30.67

125.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.59 ERN 23.95

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.49 ERN 7.36

314.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.94 ERN 29.13

-1.03%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.44 ERN 66.8

-25.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.05 ERN 45.80

504.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$26.68 ERN 401

-64.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$10.09 ERN 152

89.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$12.27 ERN 184

-78.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.25 ERN 18.79

96.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.90 ERN 28.63

11.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.18 ERN 17.79

141.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.78 ERN 26.68

14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.06 ERN 15.86

74.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.65 ERN 9.78

126.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-61.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.97 ERN 29.55

262.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$11.95 ERN 180

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.01 ERN 15.19

36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.19 ERN 17.87

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.14 ERN 2.11

2028.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$8.04 ERN 121

263.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.68 ERN 10.23

576.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.61 ERN 9.23

239.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$8.27 ERN 124

252.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-15.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

-40.69%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

-52.73%

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

$188 €162

$27.01 ERN 406

595.37%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$67.8 ERN 1,019

-66.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$201 ERN 3,018

-81.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$27.53 ERN 414

108.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$7.68 ERN 115

169.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$1.13 ERN 17.00

890.27%

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

$721 €621

$25.33 ERN 381

2746.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

796.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$81.0 ERN 1,217

6.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$74.2 ERN 1,115

-50.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$197 ERN 2,962

-48.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$94.8 ERN 1,425

22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$467 ERN 7,017

228.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$405 ERN 6,083

201.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$737 ERN 11.1K

265.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$659 ERN 9,908

205.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

479.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

108.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Asmara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $467 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $369, 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 60% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,483 including rent). Asmara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $2,225 in Asmara 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $467 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 264% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $25.33 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,483 in Asmara versus $2,367 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 60% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.