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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $888 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $942 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $996 in Surat.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 166% more expensive than Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Surat is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.58 ₹341

391.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$11.41 ₹1,087

499.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.42 ₹326

311.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.74 ₹166

59.77%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.40 ₹37.82

600.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.20 ₹19.44

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.13 ₹298

42.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.95 ₹377

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.73 ₹69.6

69.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.53 ₹50.3

283.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.67 ₹64.3

186.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.03 ₹98.0

221.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$5.13 ₹489

259.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.11 ₹296

205.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.43 ₹137

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.64 ₹61.1

282.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.95 ₹90.8

123.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.61 ₹58.1

367.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.36 ₹34.22

466.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.44 ₹41.69

320.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.60 ₹56.9

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.35 ₹32.92

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.86 ₹368

84.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.56 ₹720

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.57 ₹245

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.01 ₹382

-42.39%

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

$8.42 ₹802

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.24 ₹22.86

1141.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$5.65 ₹538

417.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.97 ₹92.7

374.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$1.18 ₹113

2372.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.13 ₹108

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

236.60%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.5K ₹2.0M

52.35%

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

$188 €162

$38.31 ₹3,649

390.26%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$3.37 ₹321

580.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$7.72 ₹736

375.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$17.76 ₹1,691

223.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$6.74 ₹642

207.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$2.90 ₹276

285.86%

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

$721 €620

$48.91 ₹4,659

1373.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,294 ₹123.2K

1062.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$24.00 ₹2,286

259.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$24.62 ₹2,345

50.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$42.46 ₹4,045

140.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$42.48 ₹4,047

172.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$241 ₹23.0K

535.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$557 ₹53.1K

119.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$506 ₹48.2K

433.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$275 ₹26.2K

632.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$693 ₹66.1K

941.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$306 ₹29.2K

1595.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$327 ₹31.2K

620.63%

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 Surat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $241 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 621% 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 $11.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $113 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 166% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $888 including rent). Surat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 621% 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 $241 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $48.91 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Surat versus $2,367 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 166% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.