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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $348 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $598 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $847 in Ismailia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 567% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.50 E£179

404.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$15.57 E£795

347.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.49 E£229

215.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.01 E£51.6

177.23%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.29 E£14.81

868.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.09 E£4.83

2188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.20 E£61.5

283.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.99 E£102

135.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.82 E£41.71

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.39 E£19.89

420.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.61 E£31.35

224.59%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.40 E£71.6

149.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.00 E£153

511.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.61 E£184

172.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.14 E£415

135.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.43 E£73.0

90.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.58 E£29.74

310.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.39 E£19.80

433.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.29 E£14.68

848.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.38 E£19.36

415.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.39 E£19.88

358.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.21 E£10.78

604.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.17 E£8.84

435.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.64 E£83.7

334.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.01 E£307

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.02 E£51.9

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.02 E£103

18.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 E£13.81

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$4.01 E£205

631.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.31 E£15.63

1306.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.43 E£21.92

395.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.02 E£103

1365.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.33 E£17.03

451.52%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$30.0K E£1.5M

26.35%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$16.0K E£815.9K

102.59%

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

$189 €166

$11.32 E£578

1569.88%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$5.73 E£292

289.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$7.68 E£392

383.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$12.00 E£613

383.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.86 E£1,014

4.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$2.01 E£103

440.80%

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

$706 €618

$89.2 E£4,553

691.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,243 E£63.5K

1095.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$12.72 E£649

603.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$9.69 E£495

277.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$107 E£5,451

-2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$50.6 E£2,581

136.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$89.2 E£4,553

1670.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$40.26 E£2,055

2975.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$146 E£7,430

1763.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$87.8 E£4,480

2223.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$505 E£25.8K

1390.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$138 E£7,034

3702.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$109 E£5,567

2067.66%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2068% 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 $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 567% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $348 including rent). Ismailia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2068% 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 $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 188% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $348 in Ismailia versus $2,320 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 567% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.