Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Assela Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Assela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 198% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$3.94 ETB 632

366.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$43.27 ETB 6,949

59.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$6.66 ETB 1,070

112.16%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$0.95 ETB 152

229.47%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.60 ETB 95.9

403.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.63 ETB 102

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.77 ETB 123

419.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.28 ETB 366

108.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.07 ETB 172

16.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.20 ETB 193

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.11 ETB 338

-19.91%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.72 ETB 277

186.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$7.27 ETB 1,167

145.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$10.10 ETB 1,621

-4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.16 ETB 1,471

111.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.27 ETB 846

-38.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.63 ETB 101

246.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.20 ETB 353

21.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$0.67 ETB 107

313.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.50 ETB 79.9

342.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.06 ETB 170

106.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.66 ETB 106

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.57 ETB 91.4

61.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.48 ETB 881

48.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.66 ETB 105

127.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.23 ETB 198

126.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.31 ETB 210

148.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.27 ETB 43.34

455.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$1.99 ETB 319

1653.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.97 ETB 156

80.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-32.47%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-43.66%

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

$188 €161

$208 ETB 33.4K

-9.70%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$7.28 ETB 1,170

112.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$210 ETB 33.8K

-82.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$3.86 ETB 620

200.00%

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

$1,003 €862

$137 ETB 22.0K

631.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-42.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$33.35 ETB 5,356

167.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-41.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

38.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

18.5

-82.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $210 per month, with Assela cheaper across the board.

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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 198% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,254 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $137 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela 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 Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.