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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $817 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,242 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,667 in Assela.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 184% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.59 ETB 727

284.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$35.32 ETB 5,599

97.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.54 ETB 1,036

116.51%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.30 ETB 205

115.38%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.69 ETB 110

307.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.47 ETB 74.2

338.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.01 ETB 160

355.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.08 ETB 488

52.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.38 ETB 219

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.32 ETB 210

53.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.12 ETB 336

-6.60%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.49 ETB 395

40.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.98 ETB 1,106

162.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$13.67 ETB 2,166

-28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.17 ETB 2,087

45.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$6.72 ETB 1,064

-59.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.02 ETB 161

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.27 ETB 360

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.99 ETB 157

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.68 ETB 108

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.92 ETB 304

-6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.69 ETB 109

114.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.68 ETB 108

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.95 ETB 626

80.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.66 ETB 897

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 ETB 157

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.83 ETB 291

30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.42 ETB 225

207.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.29 ETB 46.54

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.05 ETB 325

1343.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.30 ETB 206

40.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$54.0K ETB 8.6M

-29.84%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$53.8K ETB 8.5M

-39.83%

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

$189 €166

$157 ETB 24.9K

20.38%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$12.04 ETB 1,909

85.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$129 ETB 20.5K

-71.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.76 ETB 914

88.72%

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

$706 €618

$80.2 ETB 12.7K

780.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-62.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$46.74 ETB 7,409

91.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$73.9 ETB 11.7K

-50.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$94.5 ETB 15.0K

10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$113 ETB 17.8K

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-80.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Assela: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $265 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 184% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,225 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 $706 in Barcelona versus $80.2 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 $35.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Assela versus $2,320 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 184% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.