Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sanaa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sanaa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $900 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,466 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,032 in Sanaa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sanaa is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.11 YER 1,455

187.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.83 YER 5,440

199.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.15 YER 2,418

38.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.72 YER 888

-25.27%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.14 YER 273

145.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.46 YER 110

347.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.91 YER 455

-35.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.20 YER 287

69.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.47 YER 589

-22.27%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.03 YER 959

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.86 YER 2,350

86.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.82 YER 1,625

39.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$19.15 YER 4,563

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.92 YER 933

-32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.44 YER 344

70.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.41 YER 574

-12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.64 YER 391

73.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.70 YER 405

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.57 YER 374

17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.64 YER 151

129.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.74 YER 176

13.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.91 YER 932

82.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.42 YER 101

609.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$82.1 YER 19.6K

-64.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$4.21 YER 1,004

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.99 YER 952

-48.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.32 YER 1,745

298.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.68 YER 640

-31.34%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$16.4K YER 3.9M

137.38%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.5K YER 8.0M

-2.44%

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

$188 €162

$72.3 YER 17.2K

159.67%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.70 YER 3,266

67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$38.45 YER 9,163

-4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$66.6 YER 15.9K

-13.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$16.68 YER 3,975

24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.90 YER 1,405

89.66%

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

$721 €620

$116 YER 27.5K

524.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,808 YER 430.7K

732.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$39.29 YER 9,363

119.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$148 YER 35.2K

-74.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$41.65 YER 9,924

144.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$42.36 YER 10.1K

173.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$167 YER 39.8K

818.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$95.3 YER 22.7K

1180.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$410 YER 97.8K

556.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$265 YER 63.2K

658.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,123 YER 982.5K

75.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$819 YER 195.1K

533.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$191 YER 45.5K

1134.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.25

-69.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $167 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1135% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $244 per month, with Sanaa 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 Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sanaa differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $900 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1135% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $167 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $116 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sanaa versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa 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 Sanaa 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 Sanaa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.