Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ibb Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ibb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $879 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,447 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,014 in Ibb.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 182% more expensive than in Ibb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ibb is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.30 YER 1,487

197.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$25.73 YER 6,079

170.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.05 YER 3,084

5.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.17 YER 512

42.86%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.12 YER 265

152.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.50 YER 118

276.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.06 YER 486

-38.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.98 YER 230

120.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.02 YER 476

-12.87%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.63 YER 857

41.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.87 YER 3,277

28.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.12 YER 1,918

18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$19.07 YER 4,504

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.26 YER 771

-0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.01 YER 239

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.25 YER 532

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.68 YER 397

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.47 YER 347

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.32 YER 311

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.81 YER 192

91.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.69 YER 163

37.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.36 YER 793

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 435

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 YER 821

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.95 YER 933

85.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.12 YER 502

54.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.56 YER 605

-42.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.36 YER 1,739

365.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.05 YER 485

-15.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$17.0K YER 4.0M

114.36%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.9K YER 8.2M

-12.37%

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

$187 €163

$63.6 YER 15.0K

194.15%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$15.57 YER 3,677

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$29.89 YER 7,060

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.99 YER 1,415

90.48%

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

$997 €869

$24.80 YER 5,859

3918.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,138 YER 505.1K

673.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$29.42 YER 6,950

214.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$120 YER 28.4K

-65.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$47.06 YER 11.1K

136.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$40.69 YER 9,613

207.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$313 YER 74.0K

445.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$252 YER 59.6K

409.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$773 YER 182.7K

231.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$629 YER 148.7K

208.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$359 YER 84.8K

554.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.25

-71.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ibb: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $313 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 554% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $251 per month, with Ibb 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 Ibb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ibb differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $879 including rent). Ibb is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 554% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $313 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $24.80 in Ibb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibb – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $879 in Ibb versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb 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 Ibb 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 Ibb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.