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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $766 in Karaganda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,194 in Karaganda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,621 in Karaganda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 208% more expensive than in Karaganda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Karaganda is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$8.08 ₸3,833

112.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$29.25 ₸13.9K

132.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.02 ₸2,379

171.71%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.84 ₸871

51.09%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.64 ₸302

340.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.50 ₸238

292.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.01 ₸477

338.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.86 ₸1,355

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.00 ₸476

27.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.47 ₸223

353.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.25 ₸592

59.20%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.77 ₸837

90.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.66 ₸4,578

96.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.25 ₸2,017

124.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.21 ₸3,418

159.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.36 ₸645

94.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.45 ₸688

62.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.99 ₸945

5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.88 ₸893

45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.58 ₸275

237.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.38 ₸178

376.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.00 ₸476

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.69 ₸329

28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.77 ₸840

283.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.85 ₸3,722

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.00 ₸476

37.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.70 ₸804

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.20 ₸94.8

1355.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$11.51 ₸5,458

149.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.78 ₸844

157.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.45 ₸215

353.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$4.27 ₸2,025

572.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.48 ₸227

279.17%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.4K ₸9.2M

102.98%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$24.6K ₸11.7M

31.96%

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

$187 €162

$54.8 ₸26.0K

240.32%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.02 ₸3,802

177.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$12.98 ₸6,155

180.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$31.93 ₸15.1K

80.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.95 ₸5,664

73.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.43 ₸2,102

143.12%

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

$725 €628

$234 ₸111.0K

209.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,923 ₸2.3M

207.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$55.6 ₸26.3K

58.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$35.24 ₸16.7K

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$87.1 ₸41.3K

18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$85.8 ₸40.7K

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$334 ₸158.1K

356.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$208 ₸98.4K

490.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$573 ₸271.5K

376.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$391 ₸185.4K

407.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,006 ₸477.1K

642.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$661 ₸313.3K

693.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$548 ₸259.8K

336.61%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $334 in Karaganda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 337% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Karaganda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $171 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 208% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $766 including rent). Karaganda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 337% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $334 in Karaganda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $234 in Karaganda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $766 in Karaganda versus $2,359 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 208% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.