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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $708 in Surabaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,133 in Surabaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,557 in Surabaya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 234% more expensive than Surabaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Surabaya is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

1056.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$12.12 Rp 218.6K

464.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

349.20%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

52.75%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 Rp 4,648

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.41 Rp 43.5K

85.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.02 Rp 72.4K

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

39.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

106.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

129.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.04 Rp 163.1K

103.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.29 Rp 59.4K

188.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$8.45 Rp 152.5K

126.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

59.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

100.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.42 Rp 7,603

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

181.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$24.78 Rp 446.9K

-68.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.77 Rp 31.8K

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.14 Rp 56.7K

-26.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.48 Rp 8,572

520.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$9.40 Rp 169.6K

211.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.44 Rp 7,997

945.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.29 Rp 5,216

613.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$2.77 Rp 50.0K

953.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

119.05%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.6K Rp 372.2M

89.04%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$35.8K Rp 645.7M

-8.67%

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

$188 €162

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

121.33%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$4.09 Rp 73.7K

460.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$19.75 Rp 356.2K

85.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$21.59 Rp 389.4K

165.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$4.57 Rp 82.4K

352.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

292.63%

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

$721 €621

$188 Rp 3.4M

284.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,556 Rp 172.3M

57.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.6 Rp 1.1M

39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$38.56 Rp 695.3K

-3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

31.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$242 Rp 4.4M

533.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$135 Rp 2.4M

801.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$762 Rp 13.7M

253.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$393 Rp 7.1M

411.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,209 Rp 39.8M

226.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,067 Rp 19.2M

386.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$276 Rp 5.0M

756.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.33

-59.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $242 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 756% 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 $12.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $226 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 234% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $708 including rent). Surabaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 756% 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 $242 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $188 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Surabaya versus $2,367 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 234% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.