Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $640 in Medan versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $988 in Medan versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,336 in Medan versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Medan costs roughly 72% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medan is 52% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 Rp 33.6K

$17.66 €15.43

-89.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.72 Rp 191.8K

$69.7 €60.9

-84.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 Rp 58.7K

$14.16 €12.37

-76.84%

Cappuccino

$1.80 Rp 32.1K

$2.80 €2.45

-35.71%

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

$0.39 Rp 7,031

$2.81 €2.46

-86.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 Rp 4,855

$2.06 €1.80

-86.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$4.60 €4.02

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 Rp 93.8K

$4.69 €4.10

11.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

$1.23 €1.07

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

$2.03 €1.78

-41.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.98 €1.73

-58.08%

Eggs

$1.53 Rp 27.3K

$3.49 €3.05

-56.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 Rp 168.1K

$18.33 €16.01

-48.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$9.83 €8.59

-62.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 Rp 122.2K

$19.13 €16.71

-64.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.6K

$2.73 €2.38

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 Rp 17.8K

$2.38 €2.08

-57.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$2.08 €1.82

-26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

$2.75 €2.41

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$1.96 €1.71

-61.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

$1.79 €1.57

-29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 Rp 8,138

$1.48 €1.29

-69.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,778

$0.91 €0.80

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 Rp 44.3K

$7.13 €6.23

-65.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 Rp 284.5K

$7.88 €6.88

101.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 Rp 24.3K

$1.38 €1.20

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 Rp 56.7K

$2.39 €2.09

32.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,810

$3.01 €2.63

-89.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.59 Rp 171.5K

$29.35 €25.65

-67.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 Rp 10.3K

$4.36 €3.81

-86.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 Rp 3,944

$2.13 €1.86

-89.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 Rp 110.5K

$29.60 €25.86

-79.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.82 €1.59

-54.95%

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

$28.0K Rp 501.3M

$37.9K €33.1K

-26.05%

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

$33.9K Rp 606.5M

$32.4K €28.3K

4.69%

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

$83.7 Rp 1.5M

$189 €165

-55.75%

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

$3.67 Rp 65.7K

$22.29 €19.48

-83.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.25 Rp 612.7K

$37.16 €32.47

-7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.20 Rp 415.1K

$58.0 €50.7

-60.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.12 Rp 127.4K

$20.66 €18.05

-65.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 Rp 62.5K

$10.87 €9.50

-67.89%

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

$123 Rp 2.2M

$706 €617

-82.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K Rp 189.5M

$14.9K €13.0K

-28.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 Rp 1.2M

$89.4 €78.2

-25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.18 Rp 754.5K

$36.60 €31.98

15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 Rp 2.1M

$104 €90.9

10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 Rp 1.2M

$119 €104

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 Rp 3.5M

$1,579 €1,379

-87.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 Rp 1.8M

$1,238 €1,082

-91.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 Rp 9.5M

$2,712 €2,370

-80.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 Rp 4.2M

$2,039 €1,782

-88.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 Rp 19.8M

$7,527 €6,576

-85.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$550 Rp 9.8M

$5,239 €4,577

-89.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$213 Rp 3.8M

$2,364 €2,065

-90.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

3.39

172.86%

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

Last update for Medan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $196 in Medan and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1008% 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: $11.00 in Medan vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $320 per month, with Medan 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

Medan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan and Barcelona differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($640 vs $2,320 including rent). Medan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1008% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $196 in Medan versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Medan versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $640 in Medan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Medan 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, Medan and Barcelona 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.