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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $3,470 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $5,210 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $6,951 in Yens.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 29% less than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Yens 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$28.97 CHF 23.81

-35.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$122 CHF 100

-43.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$16.03 CHF 13.17

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.10 CHF 5.01

-49.18%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$5.04 CHF 4.14

-43.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$4.11 CHF 3.38

-54.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$9.18 CHF 7.55

-56.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$8.16 CHF 6.71

-44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-43.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.07 CHF 2.52

-29.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-44.65%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$7.37 CHF 6.06

-30.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$24.52 CHF 20.15

-27.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$28.06 CHF 23.06

-65.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$39.21 CHF 32.22

-48.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.60 CHF 2.96

-9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.03 CHF 1.67

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.64 CHF 2.17

-1.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.53 CHF 3.72

-39.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.70 CHF 1.40

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.99 CHF 1.64

6.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.31 CHF 1.08

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$11.27 CHF 9.27

-34.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$12.42 CHF 10.21

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.35 CHF 1.93

-34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.04 CHF 2.50

-8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$4.42 CHF 3.64

-29.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$99.3 CHF 81.6

-73.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$7.86 CHF 6.46

-58.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$4.65 CHF 3.82

-68.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$86.8 CHF 71.3

-60.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-27.00%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$44.6K CHF 36.7K

-18.50%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$39.4K CHF 32.4K

-22.55%

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

$187 €163

$283 CHF 233

-33.91%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$28.77 CHF 23.64

-47.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$51.4 CHF 42.23

-26.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$92.7 CHF 76.2

-39.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$45.86 CHF 37.68

-62.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$24.87 CHF 20.43

-54.12%

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

$997 €867

$2,953 CHF 2,427

-66.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$31.6K CHF 26.0K

-47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$145 CHF 119

-36.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$61.9 CHF 50.9

-33.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$141 CHF 116

-21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$203 CHF 167

-38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$1,773 CHF 1,457

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$1,479 CHF 1,215

-13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$2,925 CHF 2,404

-12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$2,547 CHF 2,093

-23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$16.6K CHF 13.7K

-54.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

-57.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.95

62.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Yens: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,773 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $122 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $566 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 40% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $3,470 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $5,205 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,773 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $2,953 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 40% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.