Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karawang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karawang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $445 in Karawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $803 in Karawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $1,161 in Karawang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 448% more expensive than in Karawang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Karawang is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$1.42 Rp 25.4K

1192.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$11.15 Rp 199.5K

500.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$3.41 Rp 61.0K

303.23%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

120.14%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$0.40 Rp 7,234

620.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.19 Rp 3,321

926.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$3.11 Rp 55.7K

25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$3.02 Rp 54.0K

49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.13 Rp 20.1K

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.03 Rp 18.4K

100.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

105.75%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

240.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

519.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$2.84 Rp 50.8K

231.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$7.81 Rp 139.8K

148.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$1.76 Rp 31.4K

80.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.08 Rp 19.3K

93.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

107.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$0.48 Rp 8,633

489.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

147.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

41.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.68 Rp 12.2K

133.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.42 Rp 7,569

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

163.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$22.55 Rp 403.6K

-64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

-15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

398.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

260.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.52 Rp 9,294

190.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

2915.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

113.75%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$21.0K Rp 374.9M

73.08%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$28.5K Rp 510.6M

7.39%

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

$183 €163

$33.85 Rp 605.7K

441.83%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

248.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$12.59 Rp 225.2K

191.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$20.24 Rp 362.2K

175.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$8.43 Rp 150.8K

95.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$2.82 Rp 50.4K

300.71%

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

$983 €873

$43.23 Rp 773.5K

2172.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$8,186 Rp 146.5M

103.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$16.40 Rp 293.5K

460.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$27.34 Rp 489.2K

46.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$48.10 Rp 860.6K

125.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$48.99 Rp 876.6K

149.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$137 Rp 2.5M

1133.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$69.2 Rp 1.2M

1813.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$552 Rp 9.9M

373.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$367 Rp 6.6M

424.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$1,171 Rp 20.9M

526.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$606 Rp 10.9M

766.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$401 Rp 7.2M

477.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.38

-72.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Karawang: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $137 in Karawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 478% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Karawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $174 per month, with Karawang 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 Karawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Karawang differ by about 448% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $445 including rent). Karawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 478% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $137 in Karawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $43.23 in Karawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Karawang – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $67.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $445 in Karawang versus $2,441 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Karawang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karawang 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 Karawang 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 Karawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 448% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.