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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $895 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,453 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,011 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 74% above, Yala is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$1.51 ฿49.26

1031.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$27.44 ฿894

152.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.14 ฿200

124.43%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.02 ฿65.6

36.63%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.55 ฿17.80

407.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.21 ฿6.87

847.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.50 ฿81.4

74.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.68 ฿120

28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.68 ฿54.6

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.34 ฿43.59

52.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.32 ฿43.06

50.76%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.23 ฿72.5

52.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$18.63 ฿607

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.01 ฿98.0

210.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.61 ฿346

80.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.12 ฿102

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.24 ฿40.52

88.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.88 ฿61.4

12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.59 ฿51.9

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.46 ฿47.42

34.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.24 ฿40.48

45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.97 ฿31.64

49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.51 ฿16.71

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.39 ฿143

54.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$16.04 ฿523

-50.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 ฿56.0

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.76 ฿90.0

-14.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.64 ฿20.87

356.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.07 ฿34.82

316.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.14 ฿37.04

79.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.07 ฿198

386.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.06 ฿34.61

71.70%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.8K ฿904.0K

39.89%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.1K ฿883.0K

22.09%

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

$189 €163

$76.2 ฿2,483

148.20%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$12.45 ฿405

83.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$18.30 ฿596

105.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$48.51 ฿1,580

19.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$12.14 ฿395

70.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.07 ฿230

53.04%

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

$728 €628

$294 ฿9,568

147.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,514 ฿309.9K

55.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$33.42 ฿1,089

165.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$34.22 ฿1,115

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$101 ฿3,279

1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$71.0 ฿2,313

63.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$415 ฿13.5K

277.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$286 ฿9,322

325.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$803 ฿26.2K

248.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$644 ฿21.0K

206.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,912 ฿62.3K

305.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,342 ฿43.7K

285.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Yala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $415 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $249 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 ($2,337 vs $895 including rent). Yala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,343 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $415 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $294 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $895 in Yala versus $2,337 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.