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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $7,111 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 77% above, Yens 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$30.64 CHF 24.24

-42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$145 CHF 115

-52.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$18.91 CHF 14.96

-25.65%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.15 CHF 4.87

-54.80%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.34 CHF 4.23

-47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.87 CHF 3.85

-57.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$9.92 CHF 7.85

-55.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.43 CHF 5.88

-37.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.17 CHF 1.71

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.84 CHF 3.04

-47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.52 CHF 3.57

-57.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.10 CHF 5.62

-53.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$26.46 CHF 20.94

-30.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$28.53 CHF 22.57

-66.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$43.82 CHF 34.67

-56.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.64 CHF 2.88

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.11 CHF 1.67

16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.81 CHF 2.22

-24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.57 CHF 5.20

-56.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.44 CHF 1.93

-16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.33 CHF 1.84

-20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.49 CHF 1.97

-40.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.46 CHF 1.15

-42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$10.93 CHF 8.65

-34.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.76 CHF 10.89

-42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.02 CHF 1.60

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.12 CHF 2.47

-25.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.95 CHF 3.12

-24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$98.7 CHF 78.1

-70.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$8.10 CHF 6.41

-43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.37 CHF 2.66

-38.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$66.2 CHF 52.4

-55.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-15.98%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$40.0K CHF 31.7K

-2.54%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$41.6K CHF 32.9K

-21.43%

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

$188 €162

$304 CHF 240

-38.19%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$51.1 CHF 40.45

-55.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$57.7 CHF 45.65

-36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$89.6 CHF 70.9

-35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$23.13 CHF 18.29

-51.62%

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

$721 €621

$2,554 CHF 2,020

-71.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$33.7K CHF 26.7K

-55.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$107 CHF 85.0

-19.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$70.9 CHF 56.1

-47.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$151 CHF 120

-32.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$184 CHF 146

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,711 CHF 1,353

-10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,451 CHF 1,148

-15.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,872 CHF 2,272

-6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$2,427 CHF 1,920

-17.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

-53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$10.6K CHF 8,359

-50.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $145 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $618 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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $3,511 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $5,266 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $2,554 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.

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 48% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.