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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $578 in Magelang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $892 in Magelang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,206 in Magelang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 304% more expensive than Magelang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Magelang is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

1038.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$9.40 Rp 168.4K

636.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$2.96 Rp 53.1K

365.54%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

224.71%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.38 Rp 6,881

634.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.16 Rp 2,954

1143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

198.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.93 Rp 52.4K

61.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.21 Rp 21.6K

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

128.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

126.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.17 Rp 128.4K

162.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.64 Rp 47.4K

254.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.81 Rp 139.8K

144.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.26 Rp 40.6K

19.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.24 Rp 22.2K

88.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

52.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

182.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

84.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.40 Rp 7,119

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.54 Rp 45.5K

166.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$16.80 Rp 301.1K

-52.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

-1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.33 Rp 5,831

784.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$9.90 Rp 177.4K

189.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.44 Rp 7,895

913.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.29 Rp 5,176

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

1136.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

136.36%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.7K Rp 513.8M

35.39%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$31.7K Rp 567.5M

4.50%

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

$189 €163

$50.7 Rp 908.4K

273.23%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$4.18 Rp 74.9K

445.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$19.23 Rp 344.5K

95.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$14.85 Rp 266.0K

288.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$3.90 Rp 69.9K

431.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

299.26%

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

$728 €628

$49.85 Rp 893.1K

1361.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,285 Rp 76.8M

244.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$21.81 Rp 390.7K

306.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$21.16 Rp 379.2K

74.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$64.1 Rp 1.1M

59.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$58.6 Rp 1.1M

98.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$259 Rp 4.6M

504.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$160 Rp 2.9M

661.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$575 Rp 10.3M

386.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$337 Rp 6.0M

486.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,146 Rp 20.5M

576.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$678 Rp 12.1M

663.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$169 Rp 3.0M

1284.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.33

-59.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Magelang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $259 in Magelang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1285% 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 Magelang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $181 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 304% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $578 including rent). Magelang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1285% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $259 in Magelang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $49.85 in Magelang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $578 in Magelang versus $2,337 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 304% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.