Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kollam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kollam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $299 in Kollam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $484 in Kollam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $668 in Kollam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 691% more expensive than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kollam is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$1.14 ₹109

1442.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$7.04 ₹674

872.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$3.96 ₹379

255.05%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.26 ₹120

120.63%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.40 ₹38.68

600.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.12 ₹11.88

1616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.69 ₹162

163.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.97 ₹285

55.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.59 ₹56.1

110.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.47 ₹45.16

331.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.51 ₹48.93

276.47%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$0.82 ₹78.1

303.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$5.29 ₹506

248.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.26 ₹216

319.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.24 ₹214

17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.58 ₹55.4

322.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.79 ₹76.1

168.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.45 ₹43.20

533.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.48 ₹46.13

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.39 ₹37.42

374.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.40 ₹37.93

267.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.30 ₹28.56

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.55 ₹340

101.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$2.58 ₹247

205.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.20 ₹211

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.88 ₹276

-19.79%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.63 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.12 ₹11.24

2383.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$7.82 ₹748

274.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.14 ₹109

303.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.30 ₹28.51

590.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$1.59 ₹153

1735.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.21 ₹116

52.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

232.69%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

105.60%

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

$188 €162

$26.84 ₹2,569

599.78%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$3.29 ₹315

596.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$5.74 ₹549

539.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$12.11 ₹1,159

373.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.27 ₹1,365

45.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$1.72 ₹164

550.58%

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

$721 €621

$23.69 ₹2,267

2943.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,543 ₹147.6K

875.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$18.56 ₹1,776

364.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$19.39 ₹1,856

91.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$28.36 ₹2,714

259.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$27.59 ₹2,640

320.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$92.4 ₹8,842

1559.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$52.7 ₹5,040

2217.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$198 ₹18.9K

1262.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$128 ₹12.2K

1474.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$832 ₹79.6K

767.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$458 ₹43.8K

1032.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$532 ₹50.9K

343.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.97

-62.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kollam: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $92.4 in Kollam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 344% 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 $7.00 in Kollam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $92.0 per month, with Kollam 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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kollam differ by about 691% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $299 including rent). Kollam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 344% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $92.4 in Kollam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $23.69 in Kollam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 243% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $299 in Kollam versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kollam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kollam 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 Kollam 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 Kollam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 691% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.