Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surat Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $913 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $951 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $989 in Surat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Surat is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$3.57 ₹344

394.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$11.68 ₹1,125

496.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$3.41 ₹329

315.25%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.70 ₹164

64.71%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.42 ₹40.54

569.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.17 ₹16.79

1111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.29 ₹317

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$4.13 ₹397

13.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$0.74 ₹71.5

66.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.53 ₹50.9

283.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.67 ₹65.0

195.52%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$0.99 ₹95.1

252.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$5.14 ₹495

256.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$3.23 ₹311

204.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.50 ₹144

82.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$0.65 ₹62.6

266.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.96 ₹92.7

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.67 ₹64.7

310.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.36 ₹34.27

444.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.40 ₹38.42

347.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.55 ₹52.9

169.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.34 ₹32.88

167.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$3.89 ₹374

83.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$7.72 ₹743

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.68 ₹258

-48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$4.08 ₹393

-41.42%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$8.53 ₹821

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.22 ₹21.11

1268.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$5.97 ₹574

391.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$0.95 ₹91.4

358.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$1.15 ₹111

2473.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.19 ₹114

52.94%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

224.58%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.6K ₹2.1M

49.60%

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

$189 €165

$37.81 ₹3,641

399.95%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$3.36 ₹323

563.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$7.79 ₹750

377.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$17.98 ₹1,731

222.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$6.72 ₹647

207.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$2.87 ₹276

278.75%

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

$706 €617

$48.12 ₹4,633

1367.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,299 ₹125.1K

1044.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$23.93 ₹2,304

273.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$24.85 ₹2,393

47.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$42.24 ₹4,067

146.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$42.05 ₹4,049

183.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$243 ₹23.4K

549.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$556 ₹53.6K

122.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$495 ₹47.7K

447.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$278 ₹26.8K

633.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$697 ₹67.1K

979.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$307 ₹29.6K

1605.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$323 ₹31.1K

632.29%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Surat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $243 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 632% 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 Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $115 per month, with Surat 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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surat differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $913 including rent). Surat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 632% 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 $243 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $48.12 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Surat versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surat 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 Surat 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 Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.