Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thiruvananthapuram Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thiruvananthapuram

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $382 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $604 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $827 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 520% more expensive than Thiruvananthapuram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Thiruvananthapuram is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.27 ₹218

674.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$13.73 ₹1,315

398.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.31 ₹413

226.22%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.80 ₹172

54.44%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.33 ₹32.00

748.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.23 ₹22.04

795.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.71 ₹164

160.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.47 ₹332

32.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.60 ₹57.2

106.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.54 ₹51.6

275.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.63 ₹60.7

204.76%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$0.99 ₹95.1

234.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$5.93 ₹568

210.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.40 ₹230

295.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.42 ₹231

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.71 ₹68.3

245.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.27 ₹122

66.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.58 ₹55.6

391.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.52 ₹49.75

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.61 ₹58.4

203.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.51 ₹48.81

188.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.30 ₹29.08

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.59 ₹344

98.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.70 ₹641

17.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.48 ₹142

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.81 ₹269

-17.79%

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

$4.82 ₹462

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.17 ₹15.89

1652.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$6.36 ₹609

360.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.96 ₹91.5

379.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$1.79 ₹171

1530.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.24 ₹119

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

106.19%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

52.23%

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

$188 €162

$28.02 ₹2,684

570.31%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$3.39 ₹324

576.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$7.98 ₹764

360.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$16.57 ₹1,587

246.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$11.88 ₹1,137

74.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$2.35 ₹225

376.17%

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

$721 €621

$30.59 ₹2,929

2256.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,959 ₹187.6K

668.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$18.05 ₹1,729

377.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$15.97 ₹1,530

132.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$33.82 ₹3,239

201.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$22.06 ₹2,113

425.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$144 ₹13.8K

966.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$89.9 ₹8,609

1257.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$281 ₹26.9K

860.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$173 ₹16.6K

1062.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$678 ₹64.9K

965.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$428 ₹41.0K

1113.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$241 ₹23.1K

877.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-71.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $144 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 878% 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 $14.00 in Thiruvananthapuram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $107 per month, with Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Thiruvananthapuram differ by about 520% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $382 including rent). Thiruvananthapuram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 878% 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 $144 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $30.59 in Thiruvananthapuram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 197% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Thiruvananthapuram versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiruvananthapuram but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 520% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.