Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,511 in Yens versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Yens is roughly 48% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yens 162% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.64 CHF 24.16

$17.58 €15.12

74.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$68.4 €58.9

111.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 14.91

$14.06 €12.09

34.50%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.85

$2.78 €2.39

121.22%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.21

$2.80 €2.41

90.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.84

$2.06 €1.78

136.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 7.82

$4.46 €3.84

122.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.86

$4.61 €3.96

61.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.71

$1.24 €1.07

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.03

$2.03 €1.74

89.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.56

$1.92 €1.65

135.42%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$3.31 €2.85

114.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.46 CHF 20.86

$18.43 €15.85

43.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.53 CHF 22.50

$9.49 €8.16

200.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.82 CHF 34.55

$19.16 €16.48

128.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$2.64 €2.27

37.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.66

$2.45 €2.11

-13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.22

$2.12 €1.82

32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.18

$2.85 €2.45

130.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$2.04 €1.75

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$1.85 €1.59

25.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$1.47 €1.26

69.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CHF 1.15

$0.84 €0.73

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$7.14 €6.14

53.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.85

$7.88 €6.78

74.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$1.38 €1.19

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$2.31 €1.99

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.11

$2.98 €2.56

32.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.8

$29.26 €25.17

237.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 CHF 6.38

$4.60 €3.95

76.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.65

$2.07 €1.78

62.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.2 CHF 52.2

$29.18 €25.10

126.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.84 €1.58

19.02%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

2.61%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

27.27%

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

$304 CHF 240

$188 €162

61.78%

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

$51.1 CHF 40.31

$22.93 €19.73

122.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.49

$36.71 €31.58

57.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 70.7

$57.4 €49.35

56.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$23.13 CHF 18.23

$11.19 €9.63

106.70%

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

$2,554 CHF 2,014

$721 €620

254.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

124.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 84.7

$86.2 €74.2

24.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 CHF 55.9

$37.07 €31.89

91.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$102 €87.8

48.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 145

$116 €99.7

58.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 CHF 1,349

$1,534 €1,319

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,144

$1,220 €1,050

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 CHF 2,264

$2,696 €2,319

6.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 CHF 1,913

$2,013 €1,732

20.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

$7,220 €6,211

117.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,331

$5,189 €4,463

103.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.39

-26.25%

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

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $145 in Yens vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $618 vs $318 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

Yens vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens and Barcelona differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($3,511 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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

Childcare runs $2,554 in Yens 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 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, Yens 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 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.