Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yekaterinburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yekaterinburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,264 in Yekaterinburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,068 in Yekaterinburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,873 in Yekaterinburg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than in Yekaterinburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Yekaterinburg is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$12.36 ₽1,073

48.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$47.23 ₽4,100

46.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$5.75 ₽500

145.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.78 ₽241

12.59%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.42 ₽123

112.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.45 ₽39.35

335.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$2.07 ₽180

93.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$2.89 ₽251

64.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.05 ₽90.8

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$0.60 ₽51.7

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.13 ₽97.8

49.56%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$1.46 ₽127

237.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$11.92 ₽1,035

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$4.89 ₽424

96.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$11.62 ₽1,009

66.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.80 ₽156

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.66 ₽144

31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.42 ₽123

88.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.63 ₽228

5.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.68 ₽59.1

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$0.56 ₽48.55

291.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.48 ₽129

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.80 ₽69.5

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$2.95 ₽256

141.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$6.99 ₽607

16.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.29 ₽112

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.46 ₽213

13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$0.47 ₽40.94

570.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$17.04 ₽1,480

58.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.88 ₽250

12.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.17 ₽14.70

782.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$4.07 ₽354

757.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.76 ₽65.8

130.26%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.6K ₽2.6M

23.94%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$27.6K ₽2.4M

11.91%

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

$188 €162

$123 ₽10.7K

52.28%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$6.47 ₽562

138.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$11.44 ₽993

230.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$49.53 ₽4,300

15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$22.83 ₽1,982

-26.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$5.48 ₽476

111.31%

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

$1,003 €865

$339 ₽29.4K

196.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$6,632 ₽575.7K

156.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$102 ₽8,880

-12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$61.0 ₽5,296

-33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$150 ₽13.1K

-26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$129 ₽11.2K

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$786 ₽68.2K

112.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$449 ₽39.0K

196.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$1,246 ₽108.1K

108.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$1,014 ₽88.1K

92.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$2,399 ₽208.3K

215.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$1,656 ₽143.8K

224.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$889 ₽77.2K

170.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

22.33

-85.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $786 in Yekaterinburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 170% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Yekaterinburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $204 per month, with Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yekaterinburg differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,264 including rent). Yekaterinburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $786 in Yekaterinburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $339 in Yekaterinburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Yekaterinburg versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yekaterinburg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.