Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jimma and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,020 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jimma and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jimma and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Jimma versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Jimma $1,020
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,406 in Jimma versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Jimma $1,406
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,792 in Jimma versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Jimma $1,792
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Jimma costs roughly 57% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jimma is 24% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ETB 705

$17.94 €15.96

-75.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

Cappuccino

$1.11 ETB 178

$3.25 €2.89

-65.85%

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

$0.58 ETB 93.3

$3.01 €2.67

-80.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ETB 68.8

$1.87 €1.66

-77.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 ETB 458

$3.85 €3.42

-25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ETB 220

$4.48 €3.98

-69.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ETB 176

$1.29 €1.15

-14.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 ETB 57.0

$2.04 €1.81

-82.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ETB 176

$1.72 €1.53

-36.05%

Eggs

$3.96 ETB 636

$4.77 €4.24

-16.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 ETB 1,795

$8.93 €7.94

25.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 ETB 1,812

$19.88 €17.68

-43.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ETB 349

$2.98 €2.65

-26.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ETB 182

$2.03 €1.80

-44.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ETB 523

$2.73 €2.43

19.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 ETB 93.5

$2.68 €2.38

-78.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ETB 93.2

$2.10 €1.87

-72.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ETB 535

$2.08 €1.85

60.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ETB 87.9

$0.89 €0.79

-38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 ETB 1,089

$7.78 €6.92

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ETB 177

$1.45 €1.29

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ETB 229

$2.57 €2.29

-44.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ETB 33.58

$2.99 €2.66

-92.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.56 ETB 2,176

$25.20 €22.41

-46.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ETB 273

$33.50 €29.80

-94.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 ETB 273

$1.79 €1.59

-5.03%

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

$50.0K ETB 8.0M

$34.6K €30.8K

44.41%

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

$56.2K ETB 9.0M

$30.1K €26.7K

86.80%

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

$61.8 ETB 9,921

$178 €158

-65.25%

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

$36.05 ETB 5,786

$13.32 €11.85

170.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$304 ETB 48.8K

$34.88 €31.03

771.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 ETB 5,375

$53.3 €47.37

-37.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

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

$957 €851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.1 ETB 14.3K

$39.49 €35.12

125.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ETB 21.1K

$103 €91.5

28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ETB 18.1K

$121 €108

-7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 ETB 33.0K

$1,653 €1,470

-87.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ETB 25.0K

$1,302 €1,158

-88.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ETB 66.7K

$2,557 €2,275

-83.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ETB 49.9K

$1,915 €1,703

-83.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,215 ETB 355.5K

$7,286 €6,481

-69.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,107 ETB 177.6K

$5,080 €4,519

-78.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 ETB 35.7K

$2,281 €2,029

-90.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

174.39%

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

Last update for Jimma: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Groceries & Markets

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Eating Out

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Getting Around

Jimma

–

Barcelona

$47 2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $205 in Jimma and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 927% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Jimma

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

1 h behind Jimma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,573

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jimma Barcelona 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Jimma
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Jimma vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jimma and Barcelona differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,020 vs $2,399 including rent). Jimma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 927% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $205 in Jimma versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jimma runs roughly 86% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Jimma versus $2,399 in Barcelona – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,020 in Jimma versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jimma but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jimma 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, Jimma and Barcelona 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 Jimma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.