Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,020 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Jimma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Jimma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,020 in Jimma.

Barcelona $2,399
Jimma $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $1,406 in Jimma.

Barcelona $3,410
Jimma $1,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $1,792 in Jimma.

Barcelona $4,421
Jimma $1,792

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Jimma is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$4.40 ETB 705

307.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$1.11 ETB 178

192.79%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$0.58 ETB 93.3

418.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.43 ETB 68.8

334.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$2.86 ETB 458

34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$1.37 ETB 220

227.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.10 ETB 176

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$0.35 ETB 57.0

482.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.10 ETB 176

56.36%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$3.96 ETB 636

20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$11.18 ETB 1,795

-20.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$11.29 ETB 1,812

76.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.18 ETB 349

36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.13 ETB 182

79.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.26 ETB 523

-16.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$0.58 ETB 93.5

362.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.58 ETB 93.2

262.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.33 ETB 535

-37.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.55 ETB 87.9

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$6.79 ETB 1,089

14.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.11 ETB 177

30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.43 ETB 229

79.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$0.21 ETB 33.58

1323.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$13.56 ETB 2,176

85.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$1.70 ETB 273

1870.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.70 ETB 273

5.29%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$50.0K ETB 8.0M

-30.75%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$56.2K ETB 9.0M

-46.47%

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

$178 €158

$61.8 ETB 9,921

187.74%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$36.05 ETB 5,786

-63.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$304 ETB 48.8K

-88.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$33.49 ETB 5,375

59.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

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

$957 €851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$89.1 ETB 14.3K

-55.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$132 ETB 21.1K

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$112 ETB 18.1K

7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$205 ETB 33.0K

704.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$156 ETB 25.0K

735.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$415 ETB 66.7K

515.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$311 ETB 49.9K

515.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$2,215 ETB 355.5K

228.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$1,107 ETB 177.6K

359.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$222 ETB 35.7K

926.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

-63.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $205 in Jimma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 927% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

207,573

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Jimma 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Jimma

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jimma differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,020 including rent). Jimma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 927% 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $205 in Jimma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jimma runs roughly 86% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $2,399 per month in Barcelona versus $1,020 in Jimma – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,020 in Jimma versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jimma but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jimma 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 Jimma 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 Jimma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.