Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Magelang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Magelang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $537 in Magelang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $837 in Magelang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,137 in Magelang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 361% more expensive than in Magelang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Magelang is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

1257.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$8.25 Rp 146.1K

742.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.73 Rp 48.3K

404.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

302.60%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.35 Rp 6,229

708.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.18 Rp 3,214

944.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

188.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.76 Rp 48.8K

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.06 Rp 18.8K

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.16 Rp 20.6K

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.81 Rp 14.3K

117.28%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.21 Rp 21.4K

323.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$6.73 Rp 119.2K

165.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.41 Rp 42.7K

300.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$7.03 Rp 124.4K

186.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.03 Rp 35.9K

60.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.14 Rp 20.2K

95.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.30 Rp 23.0K

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

206.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.00 Rp 17.7K

121.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.40 Rp 24.8K

51.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.37 Rp 6,496

156.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

276.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$17.10 Rp 302.7K

-52.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.52 Rp 26.8K

1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.29 Rp 5,177

972.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$8.70 Rp 154.1K

197.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.46 Rp 8,164

610.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.35 Rp 6,219

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.30 Rp 40.7K

1390.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.71 Rp 12.5K

143.66%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$25.7K Rp 455.8M

41.29%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$29.6K Rp 524.1M

3.18%

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

$187 €163

$46.91 Rp 830.6K

298.81%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$4.00 Rp 70.9K

278.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$19.93 Rp 352.9K

89.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$13.84 Rp 245.1K

304.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$3.77 Rp 66.8K

353.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$2.52 Rp 44.6K

352.78%

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

$997 €869

$45.71 Rp 809.3K

2080.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,913 Rp 69.3M

322.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$20.17 Rp 357.1K

359.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$20.11 Rp 356.1K

104.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$57.9 Rp 1.0M

91.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$54.6 Rp 966.4K

129.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$232 Rp 4.1M

636.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$158 Rp 2.8M

715.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$568 Rp 10.1M

351.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$373 Rp 6.6M

421.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,201 Rp 21.3M

536.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$664 Rp 11.8M

678.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$178 Rp 3.2M

1216.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.5

-57.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Magelang: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $232 in Magelang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1217% 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 $8.00 in Magelang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $170 per month, with Magelang 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 Magelang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Magelang differ by about 361% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $537 including rent). Magelang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1217% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $232 in Magelang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $45.71 in Magelang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $537 in Magelang versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Magelang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Magelang 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 Magelang 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 Magelang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 361% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.