Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surabaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surabaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $688 in Surabaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,205 in Surabaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Surabaya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 263% more expensive than in Surabaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Surabaya is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$1.66 Rp 29.3K

1007.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$11.40 Rp 201.0K

506.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$3.24 Rp 57.2K

336.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

100.64%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.56 Rp 9,841

439.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.26 Rp 4,572

653.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.25 Rp 39.6K

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.37 Rp 77.0K

8.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.21 Rp 21.4K

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.34 Rp 23.7K

61.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.86 Rp 15.2K

96.51%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.21 Rp 21.2K

307.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$7.80 Rp 137.5K

129.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$2.96 Rp 52.2K

224.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$7.87 Rp 138.8K

145.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.02 Rp 35.7K

60.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.33 Rp 23.4K

63.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.87 Rp 32.9K

42.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.52 Rp 26.9K

82.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.37 Rp 24.2K

61.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.93 Rp 34.0K

13.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.97 Rp 17.2K

56.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.40 Rp 7,050

130.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

263.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$25.35 Rp 447.0K

-67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 Rp 30.1K

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.89 Rp 50.9K

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.36 Rp 6,271

775.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.47 Rp 8,334

591.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.47 Rp 8,293

219.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$2.70 Rp 47.7K

1192.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

118.75%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$24.7K Rp 435.5M

48.40%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$33.1K Rp 583.3M

-6.49%

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

$188 €161

$88.9 Rp 1.6M

111.01%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$4.83 Rp 85.2K

219.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$19.84 Rp 349.7K

90.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$18.57 Rp 327.4K

207.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$6.54 Rp 115.3K

156.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$2.65 Rp 46.7K

336.98%

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

$1,003 €863

$286 Rp 5.0M

250.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$9,694 Rp 170.9M

75.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$39.47 Rp 695.8K

3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

63.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$290 Rp 5.1M

477.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$150 Rp 2.6M

790.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,276 Rp 22.5M

103.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$618 Rp 10.9M

215.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,231 Rp 39.3M

239.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,073 Rp 18.9M

400.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$277 Rp 4.9M

766.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.5

-57.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $290 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 766% 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 $11.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $211 per month, with Surabaya 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 Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surabaya differ by about 263% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $688 including rent). Surabaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 766% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $290 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $286 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surabaya – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Surabaya versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya 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 Surabaya 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 263% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.