Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $720 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,073 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,426 in Siem Reap.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 229% more expensive than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Siem Reap is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.54 ៛10.2K

592.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.11 ៛96.9K

183.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.92 ៛27.8K

103.18%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.67 ៛6,719

66.47%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.69 ៛2,768

305.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.51 ៛2,059

303.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.98 ៛3,937

355.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.93 ៛7,744

138.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.81 ៛7,271

-31.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.38 ៛5,546

47.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.03 ៛4,151

86.41%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.62 ៛6,496

104.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.00 ៛52.3K

41.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.64 ៛14.6K

160.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.42 ៛41.9K

83.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.65 ៛14.7K

-27.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.07 ៛4,315

128.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.43 ៛13.8K

-38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.31 ៛5,277

117.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.24 ៛4,984

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.95 ៛3,820

94.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.36 ៛5,471

8.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.67 ៛2,681

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$1.91 ៛7,662

273.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.46 ៛30.0K

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.73 ៛2,934

89.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.68 ៛6,740

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.01 ៛4,066

195.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.03 ៛4,159

346.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.98 ៛3,954

111.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$4.60 ៛18.5K

534.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.08 ៛4,326

70.37%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$49.0K ៛196.9M

-20.35%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$37.0K ៛148.6M

-11.51%

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

$188 €162

$73.1 ៛294.0K

156.90%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$6.13 ៛24.7K

274.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$19.40 ៛78.0K

89.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$36.31 ៛146.0K

58.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$3.52 ៛14.2K

488.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.46 ៛17.9K

150.90%

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

$721 €620

$375 ៛1.5M

92.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,917 ៛19.8M

205.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$22.56 ៛90.7K

282.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$18.51 ៛74.4K

100.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$54.1 ៛217.6K

88.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$36.22 ៛145.6K

219.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$315 ៛1.3M

387.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$216 ៛868.5K

465.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$497 ៛2.0M

442.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$319 ៛1.3M

530.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,470 ៛9.9M

192.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,106 ៛4.4M

369.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$239 ៛959.9K

888.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.2

-63.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $315 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 888% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $217 per month, with Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Siem Reap differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $720 including rent). Siem Reap is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 888% 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 $315 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $375 in Siem Reap. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Siem Reap – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $720 in Siem Reap versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.