Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yens Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,459 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $5,362 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $7,264 in Yens.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 33% less than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Yens 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$30.31 CHF 24.55

-41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$147 CHF 119

-52.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$18.91 CHF 15.31

-25.12%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.90 CHF 4.78

-52.54%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$5.46 CHF 4.42

-48.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$4.71 CHF 3.81

-56.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$9.65 CHF 7.81

-52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.49 CHF 6.06

-37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.79 CHF 3.07

-46.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.45 CHF 3.60

-55.51%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$7.42 CHF 6.01

-52.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$26.28 CHF 21.28

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$28.80 CHF 23.33

-65.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$44.50 CHF 36.05

-57.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.62 CHF 2.93

-24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.08 CHF 1.68

14.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.84 CHF 2.30

-26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$6.61 CHF 5.35

-58.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.50 CHF 2.03

-21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.36 CHF 1.91

-24.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.51 CHF 2.03

-41.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.41 CHF 1.14

-35.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$11.07 CHF 8.96

-35.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.74 CHF 11.13

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.07 CHF 1.68

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.10 CHF 2.51

-22.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.96 CHF 3.21

-23.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$99.0 CHF 80.2

-70.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$7.73 CHF 6.26

-43.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.41 CHF 2.76

-37.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$67.2 CHF 54.5

-55.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-17.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$40.3K CHF 32.6K

-5.99%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$40.7K CHF 32.9K

-20.36%

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

$189 €166

$301 CHF 244

-37.24%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$51.1 CHF 41.39

-56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$57.5 CHF 46.56

-35.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$88.9 CHF 72.0

-34.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$22.64 CHF 18.34

-51.99%

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

$706 €618

$2,534 CHF 2,052

-72.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$33.4K CHF 27.1K

-55.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$107 CHF 86.4

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$68.6 CHF 55.6

-46.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$149 CHF 121

-30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$183 CHF 148

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,694 CHF 1,372

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$1,448 CHF 1,173

-14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,801 CHF 2,269

-3.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$2,436 CHF 1,973

-16.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

-55.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$10.8K CHF 8,742

-51.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.5

35.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yens: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,694 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $147 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $622 per month, with Barcelona 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yens differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $3,459 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $5,189 in Yens 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,694 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $2,534 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,459 in Yens, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Yens. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Yens 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.