Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ioannina Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ioannina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $1,439 in Ioannina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,188 in Ioannina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $2,938 in Ioannina.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 70% more expensive than in Ioannina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Ioannina 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$16.86 €14.97

8.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$33.52 €29.78

99.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$11.21 €9.96

22.66%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$3.98 €3.53

-20.35%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$2.81 €2.50

2.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.69 €0.61

182.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$4.57 €4.06

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$5.59 €4.96

-19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.70 €1.51

-24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.11 €0.99

86.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$3.65 €3.24

-50.96%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$3.52 €3.13

43.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$11.14 €9.90

55.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$9.60 €8.53

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$12.32 €10.95

57.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$2.50 €2.22

27.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.04 €1.81

2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.23 €1.09

114.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.59 €2.30

9.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.14 €1.01

92.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.03 €0.92

107.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.05 €0.93

51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.85 €0.76

9.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$5.52 €4.90

31.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$6.65 €5.90

20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.05 €1.82

-28.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$3.26 €2.90

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$1.32 €1.17

122.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$41.90 €37.22

-38.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$4.42 €3.92

-30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.16 €1.03

30.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$7.02 €6.24

385.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.10 €1.87

-18.57%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$28.2K €25.1K

28.50%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$25.8K €22.9K

18.99%

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

$183 €163

$223 €198

-17.73%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$24.13 €21.44

-38.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$31.19 €27.71

17.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$46.34 €41.16

20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$45.87 €40.75

-64.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$9.33 €8.29

21.11%

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

$983 €873

$345 €306

184.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$9,033 €8,024

84.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$68.1 €60.5

34.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$46.13 €40.97

-12.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$75.9 €67.4

42.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$131 €117

-6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$472 €419

257.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$335 €298

294.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$704 €625

271.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$619 €550

210.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$3,071 €2,728

138.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$2,457 €2,182

113.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$1,105 €982

109.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.73

-33.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Ioannina: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $472 in Ioannina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 109% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Ioannina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $268 per month, with Ioannina 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 Ioannina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ioannina differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $1,439 including rent). Ioannina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 109% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $472 in Ioannina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $345 in Ioannina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,439 in Ioannina versus $2,441 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ioannina but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ioannina 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 Ioannina 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 Ioannina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.