Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $939 in Phnom Penh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,462 in Phnom Penh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,985 in Phnom Penh.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 147% more expensive than in Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Phnom Penh is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.04 ៛20.3K

250.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$29.66 ៛119.6K

134.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.97 ៛28.1K

103.16%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.61 ៛10.5K

7.28%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.03 ៛4,163

172.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.98 ៛3,965

110.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.48 ៛5,962

210.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.46 ៛9,919

90.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.06 ៛8,304

-40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.47 ៛5,927

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.96 ៛3,885

106.25%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.78 ៛7,159

96.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.97 ៛52.3K

41.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.20 ៛16.9K

134.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.26 ៛41.4K

86.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.46 ៛18.0K

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.60 ៛6,433

48.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.48 ៛5,953

85.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.74 ៛7,002

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.21 ៛4,876

47.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.44 ៛5,817

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.71 ៛2,879

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.03 ៛8,191

251.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.07 ៛44.6K

-28.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.05 ៛4,250

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.63 ៛6,580

46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.54 ៛6,217

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$10.57 ៛42.6K

177.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.02 ៛4,107

327.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.97 ៛3,914

119.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$4.62 ៛18.6K

540.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.12 ៛4,516

62.50%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$49.3K ៛198.8M

-23.18%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$36.4K ៛146.6M

-10.98%

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

$189 €166

$104 ៛418.4K

82.11%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$6.21 ៛25.0K

258.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$23.75 ៛95.8K

56.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$46.45 ៛187.2K

24.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.53 ៛58.6K

42.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.53 ៛18.3K

139.96%

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

$706 €618

$379 ៛1.5M

86.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.6K ៛46.8M

28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$22.08 ៛89.0K

305.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$22.04 ៛88.8K

66.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$90.9 ៛366.5K

14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$74.4 ៛299.8K

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$505 ៛2.0M

212.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$276 ៛1.1M

348.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,038 ៛4.2M

161.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$551 ៛2.2M

270.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,910 ៛11.7M

158.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,520 ៛6.1M

244.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$326 ៛1.3M

624.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.3

-67.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $505 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 625% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $244 per month, with Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Phnom Penh differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $939 including rent). Phnom Penh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 625% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $505 in Phnom Penh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $379 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $939 in Phnom Penh versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phnom Penh but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.