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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $448 in Karawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $815 in Karawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,182 in Karawang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 443% more expensive than in Karawang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Karawang is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$1.42 Rp 25.3K

1223.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$11.29 Rp 200.6K

515.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$3.45 Rp 61.4K

308.12%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$1.51 Rp 26.9K

106.62%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.40 Rp 7,183

627.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.20 Rp 3,550

835.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.01 Rp 53.5K

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$3.05 Rp 54.2K

52.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.13 Rp 20.2K

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.98 Rp 17.5K

117.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

113.95%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.43 Rp 25.4K

258.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$2.74 Rp 48.7K

498.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$2.82 Rp 50.1K

244.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$7.76 Rp 137.9K

153.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.81 Rp 32.2K

72.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.09 Rp 19.5K

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.24 Rp 22.0K

98.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.51 Rp 9,104

443.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

135.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.54 Rp 27.3K

44.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.65 Rp 11.6K

129.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.43 Rp 7,709

111.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.67 Rp 47.5K

171.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$22.86 Rp 406.3K

-63.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.82 Rp 32.4K

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.17 Rp 56.4K

-15.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.59 Rp 10.5K

420.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

283.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.55 Rp 9,819

241.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$1.15 Rp 20.4K

2941.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.79 Rp 14.1K

120.25%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$21.4K Rp 381.2M

70.26%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$29.4K Rp 522.4M

7.22%

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

$183 €156

$33.67 Rp 598.5K

443.07%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$4.27 Rp 76.0K

267.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$12.52 Rp 222.5K

193.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$20.05 Rp 356.4K

166.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$8.54 Rp 151.8K

100.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$2.83 Rp 50.3K

306.71%

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

$952 €815

$43.30 Rp 769.6K

2099.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$8,440 Rp 150.0M

91.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$16.60 Rp 295.0K

396.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$28.01 Rp 497.8K

44.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$49.61 Rp 881.7K

117.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$48.89 Rp 869.0K

156.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$139 Rp 2.5M

1101.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$69.9 Rp 1.2M

1740.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$551 Rp 9.8M

382.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$366 Rp 6.5M

419.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$1,171 Rp 20.8M

541.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$696 Rp 12.4M

643.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$404 Rp 7.2M

505.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

11.38

-72.58%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Karawang: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $139 in Karawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 506% 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 $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 443% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $448 including rent). Karawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 506% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $139 in Karawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $43.30 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $448 in Karawang versus $2,434 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 443% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.