Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau 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 Aktau and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $790 per month in Aktau vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

Aktau $790
Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Aktau vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

Aktau $1,315
Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Aktau vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

Aktau $1,840
Barcelona $4,564

Aktau is about 68% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aktau sits 42% below the global median, while Barcelona is 80% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸5,002

$17.59 €15.76

-37.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 ₸19.7K

$67.5 €60.5

-35.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₸4,492

$13.53 €12.12

-26.83%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₸1,177

$3.19 €2.86

-18.81%

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

$0.79 ₸356

$2.91 €2.61

-72.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸222

$1.89 €1.70

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸620

$4.01 €3.59

-65.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸720

$4.53 €4.06

-64.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₸669

$1.31 €1.17

12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₸228

$2.02 €1.81

-75.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ₸860

$1.85 €1.66

2.70%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$4.83 €4.33

-65.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ₸4,543

$16.74 €15.00

-40.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₸1,885

$9.12 €8.17

-54.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 ₸3,892

$19.64 €17.60

-56.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸693

$2.98 €2.67

-48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,054

$2.02 €1.81

14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,063

$2.70 €2.42

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,262

$2.80 €2.51

-0.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸301

$2.09 €1.87

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₸260

$2.07 €1.85

-72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₸673

$1.46 €1.31

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸413

$0.94 €0.84

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,176

$6.87 €6.16

-62.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 ₸4,249

$7.89 €7.07

18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₸354

$1.41 €1.26

-44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸417

$2.54 €2.27

-63.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸70.4

$3.14 €2.82

-94.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸496

$2.99 €2.68

-63.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$1.49 €1.34

-57.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$1.80 €1.61

-63.33%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$31.7K €28.4K

-0.91%

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

$45.62 ₸20.7K

$180 €162

-74.71%

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

$8.07 ₸3,662

$13.84 €12.40

-41.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ₸4,852

$33.70 €30.20

-68.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 ₸16.4K

$51.5 €46.16

-30.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 ₸1,373

$10.99 €9.85

-72.43%

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

$146 ₸66.2K

$917 €821

-84.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,678 ₸1.2M

$16.5K €14.8K

-83.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 ₸30.5K

$87.0 €78.0

-22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ₸18.1K

$38.51 €34.51

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₸32.5K

$106 €94.8

-32.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ₸40.5K

$120 €107

-25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₸149.0K

$1,699 €1,523

-80.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₸87.8K

$1,355 €1,214

-85.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸246.7K

$2,603 €2,332

-79.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸178.2K

$2,062 €1,848

-80.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 ₸365.8K

$6,915 €6,196

-88.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 ₸297.9K

$5,128 €4,595

-87.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 ₸250.8K

$2,211 €1,981

-74.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

326.83%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 60.9% $122

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$193 24.5%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 601% $1.2K

Eating Out

Aktau

$164 20.8%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 63.2% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 31% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$64 8.2%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 254% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Barcelona

$74 3% 74.6% $31

Getting Around

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6%

Barcelona

$48 2% 885% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Aktau versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Barcelona are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $322 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

4 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aktau Barcelona 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
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

Aktau vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 211% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,185 per month in Aktau and $3,679 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau and $67 in Barcelona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.