Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Semarang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Semarang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $644 in Semarang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,036 in Semarang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,429 in Semarang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 260% more expensive than in Semarang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Semarang is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

886.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$12.50 Rp 224.6K

457.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$3.64 Rp 65.4K

289.01%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

91.78%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.48 Rp 8,703

485.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 Rp 4,829

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.01 Rp 36.1K

128.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

62.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

14.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

103.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

130.23%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.59 Rp 28.5K

119.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.13 Rp 110.1K

199.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.82 Rp 50.6K

248.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.48 Rp 152.4K

125.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.60 Rp 46.6K

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

48.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.95 Rp 35.1K

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

75.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.23 Rp 22.2K

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.86 Rp 33.4K

-3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

70.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.40 Rp 7,269

127.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.29 Rp 41.2K

211.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.53 Rp 243.1K

-41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.56 Rp 46.0K

-46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

-15.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.26 Rp 4,710

1057.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$12.96 Rp 232.9K

126.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

401.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.31 Rp 5,572

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.87 Rp 51.5K

931.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

127.50%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$24.8K Rp 445.4M

52.88%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$30.4K Rp 546.4M

6.50%

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

$189 €166

$92.7 Rp 1.7M

103.89%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

710.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$23.45 Rp 421.5K

58.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$23.69 Rp 425.7K

144.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$5.24 Rp 94.1K

294.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

256.39%

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

$706 €618

$44.58 Rp 801.1K

1483.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,388 Rp 42.9M

522.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$36.26 Rp 651.6K

146.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$32.31 Rp 580.6K

13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

54.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$43.45 Rp 780.8K

174.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$255 Rp 4.6M

520.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$152 Rp 2.7M

713.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$544 Rp 9.8M

398.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$419 Rp 7.5M

387.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,179 Rp 21.2M

538.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$545 Rp 9.8M

861.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$189 Rp 3.4M

1152.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.83

-56.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Semarang: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $255 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1152% 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 $12.00 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $188 per month, with Semarang 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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Semarang differ by about 260% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $644 including rent). Semarang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1152% 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 $255 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $44.58 in Semarang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $644 in Semarang versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semarang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Semarang 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 Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.