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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $987 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,658 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,329 in Ibb.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 140% more expensive than Ibb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ibb is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.85 YER 1,633

156.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$40.65 YER 9,687

68.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$12.50 YER 2,978

12.48%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.08 YER 495

33.65%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.60 YER 382

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.50 YER 119

312.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$3.26 YER 778

-61.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.16 YER 276

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.74 YER 1,131

-59.49%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$6.43 YER 1,531

-48.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.11 YER 2,172

102.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$12.60 YER 3,002

-24.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$27.63 YER 6,585

-30.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.80 YER 1,382

-54.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.17 YER 517

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$6.45 YER 1,537

-67.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.67 YER 876

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.32 YER 554

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.02 YER 481

-8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.78 YER 186

88.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.40 YER 334

-40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.34 YER 795

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.04 YER 963

76.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

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

$2.08 YER 496

121.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$3.99 YER 952

-53.88%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

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

$32.7K €28.1K

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

$188 €162

$90.8 YER 21.6K

106.80%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$15.33 YER 3,652

49.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$77.6 YER 18.5K

-52.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$80.6 YER 19.2K

-28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

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

$721 €620

$28.67 YER 6,833

2414.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,323 YER 791.9K

352.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$29.35 YER 6,993

193.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$48.95 YER 11.7K

108.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$57.5 YER 13.7K

101.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$216 YER 51.5K

609.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$160 YER 38.2K

661.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$571 YER 136.1K

371.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$395 YER 94.1K

409.75%

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

$352 YER 83.9K

570.42%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ibb: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $216 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 570% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Ibb. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $379, 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $987 including rent). Ibb is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 570% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $216 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $28.67 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Ibb versus $2,367 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 140% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.