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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $511 in Karawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $774 in Karawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,037 in Karawang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 359% more expensive than Karawang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Karawang is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.33 Rp 23.0K

1224.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$9.19 Rp 159.3K

647.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.30 Rp 57.1K

316.67%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.45 Rp 25.1K

90.34%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.47 Rp 8,201

491.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.24 Rp 4,173

754.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.34 Rp 57.9K

38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.45 Rp 59.7K

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.22 Rp 21.2K

4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.06 Rp 18.4K

99.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.87 Rp 15.1K

126.44%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.57 Rp 27.3K

119.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$3.02 Rp 52.4K

523.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.08 Rp 53.4K

206.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.65 Rp 132.5K

148.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.05 Rp 35.5K

32.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

99.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.41 Rp 24.4K

47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.58 Rp 9,999

375.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.99 Rp 17.2K

98.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.75 Rp 30.3K

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.89 Rp 15.5K

69.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.45 Rp 7,810

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.53 Rp 43.9K

167.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$23.18 Rp 401.8K

-67.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.04 Rp 35.4K

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.54 Rp 61.3K

-31.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.65 Rp 11.2K

366.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$9.88 Rp 171.3K

187.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

515.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.77 Rp 13.4K

166.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$1.27 Rp 22.0K

2209.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.79 Rp 13.6K

139.24%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$24.2K Rp 418.9M

60.28%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$26.3K Rp 455.0M

23.28%

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

$189 €161

$44.20 Rp 766.0K

326.67%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$4.63 Rp 80.3K

379.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$13.79 Rp 239.0K

167.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$22.20 Rp 384.7K

161.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.09 Rp 261.6K

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.14 Rp 54.5K

251.91%

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

$726 €622

$47.65 Rp 825.9K

1424.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,597 Rp 131.7M

100.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$18.16 Rp 314.8K

386.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$31.10 Rp 539.1K

18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$54.8 Rp 950.1K

87.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$54.0 Rp 935.8K

120.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$156 Rp 2.7M

876.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$76.4 Rp 1.3M

1494.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$249 Rp 4.3M

1020.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$123 Rp 2.1M

1547.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,198 Rp 20.8M

492.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$722 Rp 12.5M

571.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$426 Rp 7.4M

464.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.15

-62.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Karawang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $156 in Karawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 465% 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 $9.00 in Karawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $185 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 359% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $511 including rent). Karawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 465% 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 $156 in Karawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $47.65 in Karawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $511 in Karawang versus $2,341 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 359% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.