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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $904 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,453 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,002 in Yala.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Yala is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$1.50 ฿50.1

1043.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$27.34 ฿915

148.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$6.42 ฿215

112.46%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.08 ฿69.5

33.65%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.58 ฿19.51

386.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.18 ฿5.85

988.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.43 ฿81.3

82.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.80 ฿127

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.68 ฿56.3

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.36 ฿45.41

56.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.27 ฿42.37

56.69%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.12 ฿70.9

58.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$18.79 ฿628

0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.05 ฿102

212.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$10.73 ฿359

74.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.11 ฿104

-14.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.22 ฿40.72

92.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.97 ฿66.0

6.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.60 ฿53.6

70.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.46 ฿48.83

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.25 ฿41.96

44.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.02 ฿33.96

48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.52 ฿17.49

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$4.43 ฿148

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$17.69 ฿592

-55.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.82 ฿60.9

-24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.68 ฿89.6

-10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.60 ฿20.14

385.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.10 ฿36.81

316.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.20 ฿40.08

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$6.32 ฿211

354.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.06 ฿35.33

71.70%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$27.7K ฿927.5K

41.80%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$27.1K ฿905.5K

19.97%

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

$187 €163

$77.4 ฿2,587

141.28%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$12.43 ฿416

79.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$18.82 ฿629

93.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$48.72 ฿1,630

18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$12.37 ฿414

67.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$7.17 ฿240

50.21%

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

$725 €632

$295 ฿9,865

145.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$9,683 ฿323.9K

56.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$34.19 ฿1,144

156.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$34.60 ฿1,157

6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$100 ฿3,358

3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$71.3 ฿2,384

66.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$427 ฿14.3K

256.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$282 ฿9,437

334.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$808 ฿27.0K

237.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$643 ฿21.5K

208.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$1,780 ฿59.6K

319.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,418 ฿47.4K

269.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yala: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $427 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $254 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 ($2,359 vs $904 including rent). Yala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,355 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $427 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $295 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 $27.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Yala versus $2,359 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.