Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Sanaa versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in Sanaa versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Sanaa versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sanaa is 33% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 YER 1,455

$17.58 €15.12

-65.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.83 YER 5,440

$68.4 €58.9

-66.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 YER 2,418

$14.06 €12.09

-27.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$3.72 YER 888

$2.78 €2.39

33.81%

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

$1.14 YER 273

$2.80 €2.41

-59.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 YER 110

$2.06 €1.78

-77.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 YER 455

$1.24 €1.07

54.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 YER 287

$2.03 €1.74

-40.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 YER 589

$1.92 €1.65

28.65%

Eggs

$4.03 YER 959

$3.31 €2.85

21.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 YER 2,350

$18.43 €15.85

-46.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 YER 1,625

$9.49 €8.16

-28.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 YER 4,563

$19.16 €16.48

-0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 YER 933

$2.64 €2.27

48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 YER 344

$2.45 €2.11

-41.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 YER 574

$2.12 €1.82

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 YER 391

$2.85 €2.45

-42.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 YER 405

$2.04 €1.75

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 YER 374

$1.85 €1.59

-15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 YER 151

$1.47 €1.26

-56.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 YER 176

$0.84 €0.73

-11.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 YER 932

$7.14 €6.14

-45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 YER 101

$2.98 €2.56

-85.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 YER 19.6K

$29.26 €25.17

180.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 YER 1,004

$4.60 €3.95

-8.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 YER 952

$2.07 €1.78

92.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 YER 1,745

$29.18 €25.10

-74.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.68 YER 640

$1.84 €1.58

45.65%

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

$16.4K YER 3.9M

$39.0K €33.6K

-57.87%

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

$33.5K YER 8.0M

$32.7K €28.1K

2.50%

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

$72.3 YER 17.2K

$188 €162

-61.49%

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

$13.70 YER 3,266

$22.93 €19.73

-40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.45 YER 9,163

$36.71 €31.58

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 YER 15.9K

$57.4 €49.35

16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 YER 3,975

$20.70 €17.80

-19.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 YER 1,405

$11.19 €9.63

-47.27%

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

$116 YER 27.5K

$721 €620

-83.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,808 YER 430.7K

$15.0K €12.9K

-87.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.29 YER 9,363

$86.2 €74.2

-54.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 YER 35.2K

$37.07 €31.89

299.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.65 YER 9,924

$102 €87.8

-59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 YER 10.1K

$116 €99.7

-63.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 YER 39.8K

$1,534 €1,319

-89.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.3 YER 22.7K

$1,220 €1,050

-92.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 YER 97.8K

$2,696 €2,319

-84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 YER 63.2K

$2,013 €1,732

-86.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 YER 982.5K

$7,220 €6,211

-42.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$819 YER 195.1K

$5,189 €4,463

-84.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 YER 45.5K

$2,359 €2,029

-91.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

3.39

231.86%

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

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Sanaa and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1135% 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: $23.00 in Sanaa vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $318 per month, with Sanaa 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

Sanaa vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa and Barcelona differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($900 vs $2,367 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 1135% less. 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: $167 in Sanaa versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in Sanaa versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sanaa versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa 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, Sanaa 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 Sanaa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.