Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samarinda Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samarinda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $693 in Samarinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Samarinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,438 in Samarinda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 238% more expensive than Samarinda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Samarinda is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

1021.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$12.53 Rp 217.1K

448.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.74 Rp 99.5K

139.55%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.73 Rp 30.1K

59.54%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.53 Rp 9,257

424.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.38 Rp 6,593

439.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.49 Rp 43.2K

85.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.51 Rp 60.8K

30.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.22 Rp 21.2K

4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.99 Rp 17.1K

113.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.79 Rp 13.6K

149.37%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.53 Rp 26.5K

124.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.04 Rp 139.4K

134.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.98 Rp 69.0K

137.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.79 Rp 187.1K

76.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$5.64 Rp 97.8K

-51.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.22 Rp 21.1K

94.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.20 Rp 20.8K

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

75.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.44 Rp 25.0K

36.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.98 Rp 34.3K

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.95 Rp 16.4K

58.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.61 Rp 10.5K

47.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.18 Rp 37.7K

210.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$21.90 Rp 379.6K

-65.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.05 Rp 35.5K

-29.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.12 Rp 54.0K

-22.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.32 Rp 5,575

846.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$9.65 Rp 167.2K

194.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.89 Rp 15.4K

397.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.35 Rp 6,051

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.84 Rp 49.2K

932.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.59 Rp 10.3K

220.34%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$24.3K Rp 421.9M

59.17%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.5K Rp 476.0M

17.84%

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

$189 €161

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

172.25%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

431.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$22.79 Rp 395.0K

61.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$23.00 Rp 398.7K

152.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$5.97 Rp 103.5K

251.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.11 Rp 53.9K

255.31%

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

$726 €622

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

689.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,437 Rp 128.9M

104.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$42.08 Rp 729.3K

109.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.65 Rp 531.2K

20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

54.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

60.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$262 Rp 4.5M

483.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$156 Rp 2.7M

679.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$584 Rp 10.1M

378.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$329 Rp 5.7M

516.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,140 Rp 19.8M

522.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$877 Rp 15.2M

452.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$343 Rp 5.9M

601.32%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $262 in Samarinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 601% 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 $13.00 in Samarinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $236 per month, with Samarinda 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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Samarinda differ by about 238% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $693 including rent). Samarinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 601% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $262 in Samarinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $92.0 in Samarinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $693 in Samarinda versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samarinda but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Samarinda 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 Samarinda 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 Samarinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.