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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $914 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,460 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,006 in Sanaa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sanaa is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.33 YER 1,499

178.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$22.96 YER 5,433

203.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.47 YER 2,479

35.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 YER 417

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 YER 431

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.69 YER 873

-24.12%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.16 YER 274

142.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.47 YER 111

338.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.88 YER 446

-34.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.22 YER 289

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.48 YER 588

-20.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.03 YER 953

-13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.87 YER 2,337

85.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.69 YER 1,582

46.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$18.58 YER 4,397

2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.85 YER 912

-29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.39 YER 329

71.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.39 YER 566

-12.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.64 YER 389

67.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.79 YER 424

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.62 YER 384

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.63 YER 149

134.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.73 YER 172

24.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.38 YER 800

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 YER 395

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.05 YER 958

76.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.42 YER 101

616.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$81.8 YER 19.4K

-64.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.15 YER 982

5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.03 YER 953

-47.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.02 YER 1,661

321.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.74 YER 648

-33.58%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

127.32%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.9K YER 8.0M

-4.51%

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

$189 €166

$71.5 YER 16.9K

164.45%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.56 YER 3,209

64.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$38.21 YER 9,042

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$67.4 YER 16.0K

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$16.43 YER 3,889

25.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.89 YER 1,394

84.55%

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

$706 €618

$112 YER 26.6K

529.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,809 YER 428.2K

721.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$39.44 YER 9,336

126.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$147 YER 34.8K

-75.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$40.85 YER 9,668

154.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$41.77 YER 9,885

185.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$166 YER 39.4K

848.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$95.4 YER 22.6K

1198.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$403 YER 95.4K

572.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$261 YER 61.7K

682.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,070 YER 963.3K

84.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$808 YER 191.1K

548.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$190 YER 45.0K

1142.36%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $166 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1142% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $241 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 154% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $914 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1142% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $166 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $112 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $914 in Sanaa versus $2,320 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 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.