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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $353 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $591 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $830 in Ismailia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 608% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$3.46 E£176

431.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.6

$16.03 E£815

331.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$3.92 E£199

260.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$1.09 E£55.5

187.16%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$0.31 E£15.96

874.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.13 E£6.57

1407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.36 E£69.0

194.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$2.02 E£103

135.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.89 E£45.09

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.41 E£20.62

426.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.65 E£32.78

160.00%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$1.22 E£62.0

304.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$3.84 E£195

365.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$4.31 E£219

122.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.65

$7.67 E£390

152.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.57 E£79.9

106.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.54 E£27.37

303.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.45 E£22.71

493.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.37 E£18.66

648.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.27 E£13.80

718.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.33 E£16.97

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.25 E£12.72

508.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.18 E£9.23

411.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$2.03 E£103

250.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$5.80 E£295

40.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.11 E£56.4

35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.02 E£103

37.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.27 E£13.76

1066.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.24

$3.91 E£199

590.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.41 E£20.65

692.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.45 E£22.94

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.04

$2.01 E£102

1635.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.43 E£21.86

306.98%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.0K E£1.5M

26.44%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$16.0K E£813.8K

93.20%

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

$188 €162

$14.02 E£713

1238.30%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$7.41 E£376

108.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.54

$8.09 E£411

367.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.22

$10.40 E£529

449.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.46

$19.59 E£996

-14.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.97

$2.03 E£103

470.44%

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

$1,003 €863

$69.5 E£3,532

1342.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$1,253 E£63.7K

1257.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$14.00 E£711

537.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.18

$9.70 E£493

321.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.7

$124 E£6,309

-11.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$29.02 E£1,475

322.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$81.0 E£4,115

1966.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$33.04 E£1,679

3929.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$127 E£6,460

1942.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,679

$78.0 E£3,965

2399.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,519

$491 E£25.0K

1442.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,623

$139 E£7,052

3769.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,068

$107 E£5,424

2150.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

21.33

-85.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2151% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $117 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 608% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $353 including rent). Ismailia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2151% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $69.5 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Ismailia versus $2,495 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 608% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.