Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sari

For one person, living is cheaper in Sari: $874 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Sari, Iran
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Sari
🇮🇷 Iran
$874
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sari

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 Sari actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $874 in Sari.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Sari $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,080 in Sari.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Sari $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,287 in Sari.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Sari $1,287

Living in Barcelona is roughly 181% more expensive than in Sari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sari is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$3.55 $3.55
395.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$11.80 $11.80
471.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$4.08 $4.08
231.62%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.68 $0.68
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.91 $0.91
-
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$1.23 $1.23
159.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$0.48 $0.48
506.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.52 $0.52
263.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.48 $0.48
172.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.60 $0.60
236.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.32 $3.32
-44.28%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$1.23 $1.23
292.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$4.48 $4.48
273.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$3.46 $3.46
163.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$9.25 $9.25
112.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$1.32 $1.32
125.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.88 $1.88
7.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$1.19 $1.19
126.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$0.65 $0.65
330.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.59 $0.59
254.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$0.51 $0.51
305.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.58 $0.58
151.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.30 $0.30
213.33%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.77 $0.77
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.51 $0.51
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.15 $2.15
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$2.44 $2.44
181.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$9.87 $9.87
157.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$0.51 $0.51
486.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.31 $0.31
380.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$3.03 $3.03
1001.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.09 $0.09
1900.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$50.9K $50.9K
-34.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$45.1K $45.1K
-29.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$13.18 $13.18
1268.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$1.58 $1.58
775.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$3.99 $3.99
744.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$49.52 $49.52
4.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$11.93 $11.93
33.78%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$1.02 $1.02
977.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$49.24 $49.24
1761.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$815 $815
1922.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$26.10 $26.10
233.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$37.45 $37.45
2.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$115 $115
-8.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$73.5 $73.5
62.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$794 $794
113.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$497 $497
172.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$693 $693
275.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$401 $401
414.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$857 $857
706.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$526 $526
875.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Sari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$248 $248
792.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
24.79
-86.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sari: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Sari
$497 63.4% $859
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Sari
$122 62% $200
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Sari
$59 77.8% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Sari
$19 91.8% $209
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Sari
$113 28.2% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Sari
$52 29.9% $22
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Sari
$12 * 75.4% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $794 in Sari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 8.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $12 in Sari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $122 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇮🇷 Sari
🕒 Local time
23:05 11:05 PM
01:35 1:35 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
300,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Sari 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Sari

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 Sari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Sari?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $874 in Sari, so Sari is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Sari?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 8.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Sari?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $794 in Sari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Sari?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $49 in Sari. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $874 in Sari versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sari but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Sari?
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.
Is Barcelona or Sari safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Sari are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Sari?
Expats usually find Sari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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