Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ismailia Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ismailia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $344 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $582 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $819 in Ismailia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 588% more expensive than Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.58 E£186

391.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$15.66 E£813

337.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.50 E£234

212.44%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$0.95 E£49.38

192.63%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.27 E£13.84

937.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.11 E£5.62

1772.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.20 E£62.3

271.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.96 E£102

135.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.85 E£44.28

45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.41 E£21.35

395.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.66 E£34.11

190.91%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.40 E£72.5

136.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.01 E£156

512.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.72 E£193

155.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$7.78 E£404

146.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.46 E£76.0

80.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.54 E£28.01

353.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.41 E£21.36

417.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.29 E£14.90

882.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.37 E£19.45

451.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.41 E£21.39

351.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.19 E£9.75

673.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.17 E£8.61

394.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.63 E£84.6

338.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.85 E£303

34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.02 E£53.1

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.95 E£101

18.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.25 E£12.93

1092.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$4.04 E£210

624.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.33 E£17.19

1293.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.45 E£23.58

360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$1.94 E£101

1404.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.33 E£17.32

457.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.1K E£1.6M

29.62%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$16.1K E£835.7K

103.07%

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

$188 €162

$11.33 E£588

1557.72%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$5.68 E£295

303.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$7.72 E£401

375.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$11.67 E£606

391.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.66 E£1,020

5.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$2.01 E£104

456.72%

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

$721 €621

$86.9 E£4,509

729.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,214 E£63.0K

1139.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$12.65 E£657

581.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$10.12 E£525

266.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 E£5,537

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$49.96 E£2,593

131.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$89.7 E£4,653

1610.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$39.40 E£2,045

2997.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$142 E£7,384

1794.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$88.5 E£4,591

2176.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$485 E£25.2K

1388.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$133 E£6,897

3804.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$107 E£5,570

2098.56%

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 Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2099% 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 $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $111 per month, with Ismailia 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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ismailia differ by about 588% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $344 including rent). Ismailia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 2099% 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 $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $86.9 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 186% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia 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 Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 588% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.