Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oskemen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oskemen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $883 in Oskemen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,501 in Oskemen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,118 in Oskemen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than in Oskemen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Oskemen is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$13.12 ₸5,977

40.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$26.18 ₸11.9K

164.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$3.96 ₸1,803

256.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.40 ₸1,547

-7.94%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.01 ₸462

199.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.53 ₸242

269.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.54 ₸703

159.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$1.65 ₸752

188.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.41 ₸644

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.53 ₸242

307.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.33 ₸607

27.07%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.76 ₸800

180.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$9.71 ₸4,423

84.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$5.88 ₸2,679

63.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$7.92 ₸3,609

144.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.15 ₸524

181.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.95 ₸890

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.53 ₸1,151

5.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.42 ₸1,100

14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.86 ₸392

156.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.48 ₸221

356.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.34 ₸156

347.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.07 ₸489

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$2.18 ₸995

226.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$4.75 ₸2,165

71.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.43 ₸652

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.66 ₸756

67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.26 ₸119

1111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.09 ₸498

198.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.31 ₸142

383.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$2.42 ₸1,100

1341.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.63 ₸289

177.78%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$31.5K ₸14.4M

16.27%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.7K ₸14.0M

0.68%

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

$188 €161

$44.52 ₸20.3K

321.45%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$11.31 ₸5,153

36.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$22.60 ₸10.3K

67.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$25.89 ₸11.8K

120.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$19.64 ₸8,949

-14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$4.90 ₸2,230

136.33%

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

$1,003 €863

$65.9 ₸30.0K

1421.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$2,790 ₸1.3M

509.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$113 ₸51.5K

-21.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$80.8 ₸36.8K

-49.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$97.4 ₸44.4K

12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$121 ₸55.3K

1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$336 ₸152.9K

398.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$222 ₸101.3K

498.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$641 ₸292.1K

304.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$572 ₸260.6K

240.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$1,109 ₸505.2K

582.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$805 ₸366.9K

566.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$784 ₸357.0K

206.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

19.5

-83.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Oskemen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $336 in Oskemen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 207% 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 $26.00 in Oskemen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $192 per month, with Oskemen 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 Oskemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oskemen differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $883 including rent). Oskemen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 207% 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 $336 in Oskemen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $65.9 in Oskemen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oskemen – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $883 in Oskemen versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oskemen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oskemen 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 Oskemen 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 Oskemen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.