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: $1,024 in Sanaa versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Sanaa versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Sanaa versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 59% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sanaa is 26% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.18 YER 1,462

$18.39 €15.81

-66.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.63 YER 6,068

$69.2 €59.5

-62.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 YER 2,312

$14.13 €12.15

-30.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 YER 582

Cappuccino

$3.79 YER 897

$3.13 €2.69

21.09%

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

$1.18 YER 280

$3.02 €2.59

-60.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 YER 153

$1.96 €1.69

-66.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 YER 472

$1.25 €1.07

59.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 YER 403

$2.16 €1.86

-21.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 YER 486

$1.69 €1.45

21.30%

Eggs

$3.53 YER 836

$4.93 €4.24

-28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.06 YER 4,038

$17.88 €15.37

-4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 YER 2,001

$9.61 €8.26

-12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 YER 4,391

$19.34 €16.63

-4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 YER 809

$3.24 €2.78

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 YER 241

$2.18 €1.87

-53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 YER 523

$2.67 €2.30

-17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 YER 369

$2.77 €2.38

-43.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 YER 347

$2.21 €1.90

-33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 YER 312

$2.19 €1.88

-39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 283

$1.52 €1.31

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 YER 150

$0.92 €0.79

-31.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 YER 786

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 YER 422

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 YER 812

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 YER 1,309

$7.12 €6.12

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 YER 103

$3.15 €2.71

-86.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 YER 19.8K

$26.99 €23.21

209.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 YER 1,009

$3.25 €2.79

31.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 YER 505

$1.50 €1.29

42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 YER 1,769

$34.89 €30.00

-78.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 YER 479

$1.75 €1.50

15.43%

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

$17.1K YER 4.0M

$36.7K €31.5K

-53.36%

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

$35.4K YER 8.4M

$30.9K €26.6K

14.44%

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

$109 YER 25.9K

$188 €161

-41.68%

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

$23.95 YER 5,669

$15.44 €13.27

55.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 YER 23.8K

$37.80 €32.49

166.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 YER 15.6K

$57.2 €49.16

15.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 YER 3,768

$16.80 €14.44

-5.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 YER 1,384

$11.58 €9.95

-49.48%

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

$114 YER 27.0K

$1,003 €862

-88.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,204 YER 521.7K

$17.0K €14.6K

-87.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.00 YER 9,943

$89.2 €76.7

-52.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 YER 28.9K

$40.87 €35.14

198.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.26 YER 11.2K

$110 €94.5

-57.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.14 YER 9,501

$123 €105

-67.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 YER 51.5K

$1,673 €1,438

-86.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.3 YER 22.8K

$1,331 €1,145

-92.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.5K

$2,596 €2,232

-84.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 YER 63.7K

$1,950 €1,676

-86.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,221 YER 999.2K

$7,573 €6,511

-44.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 YER 188.7K

$5,370 €4,617

-85.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 YER 45.2K

$2,402 €2,065

-92.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

3.16

256.01%

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

Last update for Sanaa: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Sanaa and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1158% 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: $26.00 in Sanaa vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $332 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 144% in total monthly costs ($1,024 vs $2,495 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1158% 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: $218 in Sanaa versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $114 in Sanaa versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Sanaa versus $2,495 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 144% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.