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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $908 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,515 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,122 in Yala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 173% more expensive than in Yala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Yala is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$1.48 ฿49.05

1144.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$21.80 ฿720

218.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$6.75 ฿223

108.15%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.14 ฿70.8

45.33%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.57 ฿18.94

419.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.23 ฿7.52

747.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.23 ฿73.7

78.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.26 ฿108

41.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.94 ฿64.0

-31.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.59 ฿52.7

32.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.22 ฿40.38

50.00%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.02 ฿66.8

155.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$18.34 ฿606

-4.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$2.65 ฿87.4

258.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.67 ฿320

106.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.57 ฿118

-11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.23 ฿40.67

79.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.47 ฿81.6

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.92 ฿63.3

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.47 ฿48.53

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.21 ฿40.08

74.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.14 ฿37.74

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.50 ฿16.38

76.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.82 ฿126

87.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$16.37 ฿541

-49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.64 ฿54.2

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.95 ฿97.6

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.59 ฿19.55

432.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.24 ฿40.82

159.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.22 ฿40.31

23.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$3.91 ฿129

801.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 ฿45.10

28.68%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$26.5K ฿874.1K

38.57%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$27.3K ฿903.0K

15.88%

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

$187 €161

$80.6 ฿2,663

132.13%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$12.11 ฿400

24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$16.78 ฿555

124.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$53.7 ฿1,775

3.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$14.30 ฿473

17.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.74 ฿223

73.74%

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

$1,011 €871

$599 ฿19.8K

68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$10.2K ฿336.0K

67.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$48.59 ฿1,605

88.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$26.30 ฿869

55.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$77.9 ฿2,573

42.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$72.7 ฿2,402

73.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$448 ฿14.8K

280.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$302 ฿9,990

329.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,253 ฿41.4K

106.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$825 ฿27.3K

133.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,819 ฿60.1K

325.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,558 ฿51.5K

245.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.57

-43.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Yala: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $448 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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 173% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $908 including rent). Yala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,362 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $448 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $599 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 $22.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Yala versus $2,482 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 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.