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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $806 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Assela.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 194% more expensive than Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Assela is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.60 ETB 725

282.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.67 ETB 5,622

91.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.32 ETB 996

122.47%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.29 ETB 203

115.50%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.64 ETB 101

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.43 ETB 68.3

379.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.98 ETB 154

355.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.93 ETB 462

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.44 ETB 228

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.32 ETB 209

53.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.17 ETB 343

-11.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.46 ETB 388

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.00 ETB 1,104

163.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$13.87 ETB 2,185

-31.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.40 ETB 2,112

42.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$6.84 ETB 1,078

-61.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.03 ETB 162

137.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.19 ETB 345

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.97 ETB 153

193.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.63 ETB 99.6

223.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.88 ETB 296

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.70 ETB 110

110.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.69 ETB 108

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.03 ETB 636

77.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.70 ETB 899

38.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.99 ETB 156

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.84 ETB 290

25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.45 ETB 228

217.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.27 ETB 42.53

666.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$1.98 ETB 312

1373.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.29 ETB 204

42.64%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$55.2K ETB 8.7M

-29.27%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$54.6K ETB 8.6M

-40.07%

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

$188 €162

$159 ETB 25.0K

18.30%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$11.83 ETB 1,864

93.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$131 ETB 20.6K

-71.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.77 ETB 910

93.93%

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

$721 €620

$79.9 ETB 12.6K

802.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$41.0K ETB 6.5M

-63.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$46.94 ETB 7,398

83.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$75.1 ETB 11.8K

-50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$94.1 ETB 14.8K

8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$115 ETB 18.1K

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Assela: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $268 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 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,208 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 $721 in Barcelona versus $79.9 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 $36.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in Assela versus $2,367 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 194% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.