Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and İzmit Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and İzmit

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,022 in İzmit.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,606 in İzmit.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,190 in İzmit.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than İzmit, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, İzmit is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.96 ₺314

153.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$22.04 ₺995

211.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.41 ₺334

85.56%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.73 ₺123

1.10%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.24 ₺55.8

124.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.50 ₺22.63

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.48 ₺112

85.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.21 ₺99.7

107.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.92 ₺41.74

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.36 ₺16.37

486.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.19 ₺98.8

-10.05%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.86 ₺84.2

84.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.68 ₺437

94.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.74 ₺259

64.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$19.50 ₺880

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.23 ₺55.6

121.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.49 ₺112

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.39 ₺62.6

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.68 ₺75.9

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.95 ₺42.86

107.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.67 ₺30.14

167.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.92 ₺41.36

64.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.58 ₺26.22

55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.13 ₺96.3

217.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.14 ₺367

-7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.99 ₺89.7

-27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.91 ₺86.4

26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.68 ₺30.50

345.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$30.90 ₺1,395

-8.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.04 ₺46.78

325.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.68 ₺30.77

201.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$7.65 ₺345

283.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.15 ₺51.9

64.35%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$34.8K ₺1.6M

11.23%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$38.4K ₺1.7M

-15.71%

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

$189 €161

$42.03 ₺1,897

348.70%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$14.94 ₺674

48.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$12.30 ₺555

199.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$42.86 ₺1,935

35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.70 ₺167

198.65%

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

$726 €622

$311 ₺14.1K

133.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,817 ₺352.9K

94.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$52.6 ₺2,373

68.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$34.08 ₺1,538

8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$114 ₺5,167

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$87.4 ₺3,945

36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$518 ₺23.4K

194.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$392 ₺17.7K

210.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$874 ₺39.4K

219.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$699 ₺31.6K

189.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,209 ₺54.6K

486.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$971 ₺43.8K

399.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,225 ₺55.3K

96.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

37.5

-90.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for İzmit: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $518 in İzmit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 96% 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 $22.00 in İzmit for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $225 per month, with İzmit 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 İzmit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and İzmit differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,022 including rent). İzmit is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 96% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $518 in İzmit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $311 in İzmit. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,022 in İzmit versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in İzmit but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes İzmit 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 İzmit 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 İzmit gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.