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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,047 in İzmit.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,596 in İzmit.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,145 in İzmit.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than İzmit, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, İzmit is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$7.15 ₺331

138.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$22.03 ₺1,019

214.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.64 ₺354

80.37%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.77 ₺128

-0.36%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.25 ₺57.7

123.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.51 ₺23.49

290.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.59 ₺120

68.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.28 ₺105

107.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.97 ₺45.09

32.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.36 ₺16.81

469.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.18 ₺101

-8.72%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.94 ₺89.7

74.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.48 ₺438

98.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.00 ₺277

56.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$19.62 ₺908

-2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.18 ₺54.4

128.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.55 ₺118

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.43 ₺66.0

48.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.70 ₺78.5

67.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.95 ₺44.06

107.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.69 ₺31.91

160.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.93 ₺42.82

55.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.53 ₺24.62

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.14 ₺99.1

216.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.65 ₺400

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.07 ₺95.9

-32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.91 ₺88.4

24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.63 ₺29.37

363.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$31.02 ₺1,435

-7.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.99 ₺45.84

350.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.68 ₺31.44

201.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.54 ₺349

291.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.19 ₺55.2

52.94%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$35.7K ₺1.7M

8.62%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.5K ₺1.8M

-13.96%

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

$189 €163

$41.31 ₺1,911

358.07%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$14.67 ₺679

55.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$12.05 ₺557

211.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$43.19 ₺1,998

33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.73 ₺172

190.08%

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

$728 €628

$313 ₺14.5K

132.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$7,846 ₺363.0K

88.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$52.1 ₺2,410

70.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$33.79 ₺1,563

9.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$113 ₺5,238

-9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$90.1 ₺4,167

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$506 ₺23.4K

209.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$392 ₺18.2K

210.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$874 ₺40.4K

219.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$710 ₺32.8K

178.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,474 ₺68.2K

425.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$974 ₺45.1K

431.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,202 ₺55.6K

94.94%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for İzmit: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $506 in İzmit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 95% 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 $319 vs $228 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,047 including rent). İzmit is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 95% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $506 in İzmit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $313 in İzmit. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in İzmit versus $2,337 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 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.