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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $987 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,263 in Ibb.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Ibb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ibb is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.79 YER 1,606

160.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$41.32 YER 9,781

68.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$12.77 YER 3,023

10.88%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.03 YER 480

37.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.67 YER 395

68.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.53 YER 126

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$3.29 YER 778

-62.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.17 YER 277

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.82 YER 1,140

-58.92%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$6.53 YER 1,545

-46.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.58 YER 2,268

91.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$12.30 YER 2,912

-20.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$27.51 YER 6,512

-30.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.71 YER 1,352

-52.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.14 YER 507

11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$6.26 YER 1,482

-66.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.73 YER 883

-26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.30 YER 545

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.10 YER 496

-14.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.77 YER 182

92.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.46 YER 346

-37.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.43 YER 813

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.18 YER 988

70.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

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

$2.06 YER 488

111.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$4.06 YER 961

-55.17%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

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

$32.4K €28.4K

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

$189 €166

$91.3 YER 21.6K

107.07%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$15.57 YER 3,685

43.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$76.6 YER 18.1K

-51.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$82.2 YER 19.4K

-29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

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

$706 €618

$29.42 YER 6,963

2299.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,391 YER 802.6K

338.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$28.45 YER 6,735

214.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$48.93 YER 11.6K

112.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$58.1 YER 13.7K

105.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$216 YER 51.2K

629.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$161 YER 38.2K

666.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$586 YER 138.7K

362.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$396 YER 93.7K

415.11%

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

$354 YER 83.8K

567.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ibb: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $216 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 568% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Ibb. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $380, 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 Ibb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ibb differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $987 including rent). Ibb is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 568% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $216 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $29.42 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 $41.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Ibb versus $2,320 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 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.