Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surakarta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surakarta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $660 in Surakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $999 in Surakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,339 in Surakarta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 255% more expensive than Surakarta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Surakarta is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.50 Rp 26.0K

1074.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$12.10 Rp 209.8K

467.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.16 Rp 54.7K

335.13%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.65 Rp 28.6K

67.27%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.60 Rp 10.5K

363.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 Rp 4,721

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.85 Rp 32.1K

149.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.84 Rp 49.3K

61.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.15 Rp 19.9K

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.90 Rp 15.6K

134.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.75 Rp 13.0K

162.67%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.23 Rp 21.4K

179.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.99 Rp 155.8K

109.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.89 Rp 50.1K

226.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.27 Rp 126.0K

161.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.40 Rp 41.6K

13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.54 Rp 26.7K

53.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.12 Rp 36.7K

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.39 Rp 24.1K

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.37 Rp 23.8K

43.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.65 Rp 28.6K

8.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.62 Rp 10.8K

143.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.46 Rp 7,898

95.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.18 Rp 37.7K

210.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.86 Rp 153.6K

-14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.78 Rp 30.8K

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.15 Rp 54.6K

-23.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.45 Rp 7,757

573.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$10.08 Rp 174.7K

181.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.44 Rp 7,642

906.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.29 Rp 5,002

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.69 Rp 46.7K

990.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

145.45%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.8K Rp 359.7M

86.69%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$35.1K Rp 608.9M

-7.88%

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

$189 €161

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

122.26%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$2.22 Rp 38.5K

900.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$19.77 Rp 342.6K

86.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$19.77 Rp 342.6K

193.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$6.00 Rp 104.0K

249.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$2.21 Rp 38.3K

400.00%

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

$726 €622

$37.42 Rp 648.5K

1841.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,046 Rp 35.5M

644.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$62.3 Rp 1.1M

41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$38.19 Rp 661.9K

-3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$77.7 Rp 1.3M

32.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$70.9 Rp 1.2M

68.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$262 Rp 4.5M

482.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$156 Rp 2.7M

681.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$581 Rp 10.1M

381.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$331 Rp 5.7M

512.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$164 Rp 2.8M

1367.72%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Barcelona pays 1368% 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 $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $177 per month, with Surakarta 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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surakarta differ by about 255% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $660 including rent). Surakarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1368% 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 Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $37.42 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Surakarta versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surakarta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surakarta 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 Surakarta 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 Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.