Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karaganda Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karaganda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $758 in Karaganda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,197 in Karaganda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,635 in Karaganda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 209% more expensive than Karaganda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Karaganda is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$8.37 ₸3,870

110.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$29.05 ₸13.4K

136.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.85 ₸2,241

183.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.93 ₸894

43.01%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.64 ₸295

334.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.50 ₸232

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$0.94 ₸433

390.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.87 ₸1,328

59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.00 ₸465

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.47 ₸217

348.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.23 ₸571

60.16%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.76 ₸813

95.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.36 ₸4,327

101.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.08 ₸1,885

131.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.06 ₸3,265

169.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.35 ₸625

101.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.50 ₸693

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.01 ₸928

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.97 ₸911

40.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.59 ₸271

233.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.40 ₸186

347.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.01 ₸465

49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.70 ₸326

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$1.75 ₸809

286.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.08 ₸3,737

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.03 ₸475

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.68 ₸776

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.20 ₸90.3

1415.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.88 ₸5,492

138.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.74 ₸807

154.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.45 ₸209

355.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.52 ₸2,089

548.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.45 ₸207

320.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$19.3K ₸8.9M

100.33%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.1K ₸11.6M

28.95%

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

$189 €161

$54.2 ₸25.1K

248.08%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.43 ₸3,897

163.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$13.15 ₸6,079

180.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$31.82 ₸14.7K

82.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.70 ₸5,410

79.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.45 ₸2,059

148.31%

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

$726 €622

$241 ₸111.4K

201.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,797 ₸2.2M

217.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$55.6 ₸25.7K

58.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$35.15 ₸16.3K

5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$86.9 ₸40.2K

18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$86.6 ₸40.0K

37.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$332 ₸153.5K

359.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$211 ₸97.6K

477.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$565 ₸261.1K

394.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$395 ₸182.4K

413.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,042 ₸481.6K

581.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$708 ₸327.5K

584.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$565 ₸261.0K

325.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.12

-78.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $332 in Karaganda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 326% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Karaganda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $170 per month, with Karaganda 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

Barcelona vs Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Karaganda differ by about 209% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $758 including rent). Karaganda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 326% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $332 in Karaganda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $241 in Karaganda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $758 in Karaganda versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaganda but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karaganda 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, Barcelona and Karaganda 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 Karaganda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.