Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pekanbaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pekanbaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $671 in Pekanbaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $972 in Pekanbaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,273 in Pekanbaru.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 253% more expensive than Pekanbaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Pekanbaru is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$1.58 Rp 28.1K

1012.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$9.16 Rp 163.6K

647.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$2.43 Rp 43.3K

478.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.35 Rp 24.2K

105.93%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.50 Rp 8,881

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.24 Rp 4,259

758.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

101.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.31 Rp 59.1K

39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.36 Rp 24.2K

-8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

69.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.98 Rp 17.5K

95.92%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

93.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$17.17 Rp 306.6K

7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

262.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.17 Rp 181.5K

88.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.88 Rp 51.4K

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.68 Rp 30.1K

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

196.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

101.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.67 Rp 29.8K

10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.45 Rp 8,024

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

217.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$21.07 Rp 376.3K

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.80 Rp 50.0K

-50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.08 Rp 72.8K

-43.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 Rp 5,261

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$9.04 Rp 161.5K

223.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.88 Rp 15.7K

422.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.44 Rp 7,814

370.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

1263.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

138.96%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.7K Rp 405.1M

71.98%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.7K Rp 459.7M

27.01%

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

$188 €162

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

170.99%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$6.73 Rp 120.2K

240.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$28.30 Rp 505.4K

29.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$23.12 Rp 412.8K

148.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$12.25 Rp 218.7K

68.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$3.29 Rp 58.7K

240.12%

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

$721 €620

$175 Rp 3.1M

311.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,092 Rp 55.2M

386.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$34.33 Rp 613.1K

151.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$36.18 Rp 646.2K

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

56.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$76.5 Rp 1.4M

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$258 Rp 4.6M

494.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$120 Rp 2.2M

913.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$908 Rp 16.2M

196.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$154 Rp 2.7M

1207.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,026 Rp 18.3M

603.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$722 Rp 12.9M

618.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$190 Rp 3.4M

1140.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.15

-62.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pekanbaru: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $258 in Pekanbaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1141% 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 $9.00 in Pekanbaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $251 per month, with Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pekanbaru differ by about 253% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $671 including rent). Pekanbaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1141% 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 $258 in Pekanbaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $175 in Pekanbaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Pekanbaru versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 253% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.