Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yala Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $896 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,481 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,065 in Yala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than Yala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Yala is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.52 ฿49.87

1058.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$27.80 ฿909

147.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.42 ฿210

114.17%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.02 ฿66.2

36.63%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.58 ฿18.86

379.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.22 ฿7.19

831.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.39 ฿78.3

92.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.81 ฿125

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.77 ฿57.8

-27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.39 ฿45.51

51.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.28 ฿41.79

53.91%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.22 ฿72.7

54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$18.71 ฿612

0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.05 ฿99.9

209.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.89 ฿356

74.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.24 ฿106

-16.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.26 ฿41.19

88.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.91 ฿62.4

8.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.53 ฿49.99

80.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.47 ฿48.09

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.25 ฿40.82

43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.98 ฿32.00

54.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.52 ฿16.94

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.31 ฿141

56.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$16.49 ฿539

-54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.74 ฿56.9

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.76 ฿90.3

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.61 ฿19.94

396.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.07 ฿34.85

314.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.16 ฿37.93

76.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.02 ฿197

387.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.06 ฿34.66

78.30%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.9K ฿910.8K

39.09%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.4K ฿897.0K

17.97%

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

$189 €161

$77.3 ฿2,527

144.00%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$12.28 ฿402

80.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$18.90 ฿618

94.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$50.0 ฿1,636

15.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.43 ฿406

68.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.29 ฿238

51.58%

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

$726 €622

$298 ฿9,758

143.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,536 ฿311.8K

59.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$34.08 ฿1,114

159.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$34.93 ฿1,142

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$97.8 ฿3,199

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$71.5 ฿2,337

66.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$421 ฿13.8K

262.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$286 ฿9,366

325.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$810 ฿26.5K

245.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$650 ฿21.3K

211.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,064 ฿67.5K

243.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,483 ฿48.5K

227.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.45

-37.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Yala: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $421 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $253 per month, with Yala 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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yala differ by about 161% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $896 including rent). Yala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,345 in Yala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $421 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $298 in Yala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yala – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Yala versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yala 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 Yala 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 Yala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.