Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kostanay Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kostanay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $936 in Kostanay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,435 in Kostanay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,933 in Kostanay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than in Kostanay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Kostanay is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$5.45 ₸2,484

237.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$28.71 ₸13.1K

140.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.19 ₸3,276

96.52%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.13 ₸972

46.95%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.15 ₸522

162.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.83 ₸378

136.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.39 ₸634

187.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.53 ₸1,151

88.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.24 ₸565

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.48 ₸219

350.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.03 ₸469

64.08%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.20 ₸1,002

124.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$10.03 ₸4,568

78.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$5.70 ₸2,599

68.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$8.59 ₸3,913

125.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.58 ₸722

105.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.26 ₸1,032

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.88 ₸854

42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.27 ₸1,034

22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.54 ₸246

309.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.62 ₸281

253.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.19 ₸541

27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.92 ₸417

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.41 ₸1,097

195.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.05 ₸3,669

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.10 ₸500

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.30 ₸1,047

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.32 ₸144

884.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.94 ₸427

245.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.06 ₸484

41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$5.85 ₸2,664

496.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.54 ₸246

224.07%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$30.6K ₸14.0M

19.68%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$29.1K ₸13.3M

6.15%

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

$188 €161

$75.3 ₸34.3K

149.08%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$10.72 ₸4,883

44.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$15.65 ₸7,128

141.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$46.28 ₸21.1K

23.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$19.86 ₸9,048

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$4.20 ₸1,913

175.71%

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

$1,003 €862

$207 ₸94.3K

384.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$6,436 ₸2.9M

164.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$92.3 ₸42.0K

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$52.7 ₸24.0K

-22.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$106 ₸48.5K

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$89.3 ₸40.7K

37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$388 ₸176.9K

330.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$304 ₸138.4K

338.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$580 ₸264.4K

347.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$471 ₸214.8K

313.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,190 ₸541.9K

536.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$910 ₸414.6K

490.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$646 ₸294.5K

271.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

18.5

-82.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $388 in Kostanay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 272% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $200 per month, with Kostanay 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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kostanay differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $936 including rent). Kostanay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 272% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $388 in Kostanay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $207 in Kostanay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kostanay – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Kostanay versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kostanay but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kostanay 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 Kostanay 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 Kostanay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.