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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $924 in Karaganda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,500 in Karaganda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,076 in Karaganda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 168% more expensive than in Karaganda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Karaganda is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$10.09 ₸4,497

85.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$35.48 ₸15.8K

95.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.44 ₸2,425

153.12%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.00 ₸890

55.00%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.86 ₸382

229.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.66 ₸293

184.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.32 ₸587

201.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.99 ₸1,332

51.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.33 ₸595

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.49 ₸220

340.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.32 ₸590

33.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.79 ₸797

186.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$13.44 ₸5,992

33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.54 ₸2,469

74.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$11.49 ₸5,120

75.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.48 ₸657

119.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.97 ₸879

13.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.85 ₸1,270

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.21 ₸984

24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.63 ₸280

250.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.55 ₸246

285.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.02 ₸456

51.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.76 ₸337

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.30 ₸1,027

219.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.25 ₸3,676

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.43 ₸637

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.14 ₸953

30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.21 ₸93.4

1380.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$15.45 ₸6,885

67.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.24 ₸553

163.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.20 ₸536

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$3.45 ₸1,537

893.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.53 ₸234

226.42%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.7K ₸9.7M

67.66%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$32.4K ₸14.4M

-5.70%

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

$187 €163

$73.1 ₸32.6K

155.78%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$10.13 ₸4,516

49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$12.05 ₸5,369

212.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$46.85 ₸20.9K

19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$18.75 ₸8,358

-8.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$5.11 ₸2,279

123.29%

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

$997 €868

$134 ₸59.9K

641.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$59.5 ₸26.5K

55.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$57.8 ₸25.8K

-28.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$78.5 ₸35.0K

41.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$87.4 ₸39.0K

43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$409 ₸182.4K

317.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$277 ₸123.5K

364.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$739 ₸329.5K

246.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$552 ₸246.2K

251.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$1,060 ₸472.5K

621.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$724 ₸322.7K

613.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$573 ₸255.3K

309.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

19.25

-83.58%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $409 in Karaganda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 310% 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 $35.00 in Karaganda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $219 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 168% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $924 including rent). Karaganda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 310% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $409 in Karaganda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $134 in Karaganda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Karaganda versus $2,476 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 168% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.