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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,020 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,621 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,223 in Sanaa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 143% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Sanaa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.33 YER 1,494

196.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$24.97 YER 5,898

178.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.53 YER 2,252

44.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 YER 468

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.80 YER 898

-18.42%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.18 YER 279

139.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.63 YER 150

198.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.09 YER 493

-39.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.66 YER 391

30.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.98 YER 469

-11.11%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.70 YER 875

38.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$17.00 YER 4,017

5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.11 YER 1,916

18.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$19.13 YER 4,520

5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.26 YER 770

-0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.01 YER 239

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.26 YER 533

15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.69 YER 398

63.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.53 YER 362

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.38 YER 326

53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.21 YER 286

28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.68 YER 160

39.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.46 YER 817

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 440

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$5.60 YER 1,322

31.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.44 YER 103

606.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$86.0 YER 20.3K

-69.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.26 YER 1,006

-23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.17 YER 513

-31.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.41 YER 1,751

362.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.11 YER 499

-18.01%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$16.7K YER 4.0M

117.33%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-11.72%

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

$187 €163

$108 YER 25.6K

72.46%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.71 YER 5,601

-36.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$101 YER 23.9K

-62.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$67.5 YER 15.9K

-17.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$16.01 YER 3,782

6.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.84 YER 1,379

95.38%

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

$997 €869

$118 YER 27.8K

748.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,184 YER 515.8K

657.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$41.56 YER 9,818

122.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$121 YER 28.7K

-66.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$48.05 YER 11.4K

131.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$41.45 YER 9,793

201.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$225 YER 53.1K

659.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$95.8 YER 22.6K

1243.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$401 YER 94.7K

540.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$270 YER 63.8K

619.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,166 YER 984.2K

83.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$817 YER 192.9K

532.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$197 YER 46.5K

1092.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.25

-71.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $225 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1092% 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 $25.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $269 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 143% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,020 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1092% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $225 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $118 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Sanaa versus $2,476 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 143% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.