Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $671 in Pekanbaru versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $972 in Pekanbaru versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,273 in Pekanbaru versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Pekanbaru is 50% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 Rp 28.1K

$17.58 €15.12

-91.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.16 Rp 163.6K

$68.4 €58.9

-86.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.43 Rp 43.3K

$14.06 €12.09

-82.72%

Cappuccino

$1.35 Rp 24.2K

$2.78 €2.39

-51.44%

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

$0.50 Rp 8,881

$2.80 €2.41

-82.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 Rp 4,259

$2.06 €1.78

-88.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

$4.46 €3.84

-50.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 Rp 59.1K

$4.61 €3.96

-28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 Rp 24.2K

$1.24 €1.07

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

$2.03 €1.74

-40.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.5K

$1.92 €1.65

-48.96%

Eggs

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

$3.31 €2.85

-48.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.17 Rp 306.6K

$18.43 €15.85

-6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

$9.49 €8.16

-72.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 Rp 181.5K

$19.16 €16.48

-46.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 Rp 51.4K

$2.64 €2.27

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 Rp 30.1K

$2.45 €2.11

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$2.12 €1.82

-5.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$2.85 €2.45

-66.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.04 €1.75

-50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 Rp 29.8K

$1.85 €1.59

-9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

$1.47 €1.26

2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,024

$0.84 €0.73

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

$7.14 €6.14

-68.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.07 Rp 376.3K

$7.88 €6.78

167.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 50.0K

$1.38 €1.19

102.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 Rp 72.8K

$2.31 €1.99

76.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,261

$2.98 €2.56

-90.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.04 Rp 161.5K

$29.26 €25.17

-69.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 Rp 15.7K

$4.60 €3.95

-80.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 Rp 7,814

$2.07 €1.78

-78.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$29.18 €25.10

-92.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

$1.84 €1.58

-58.15%

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

$22.7K Rp 405.1M

$39.0K €33.6K

-41.85%

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

$25.7K Rp 459.7M

$32.7K €28.1K

-21.27%

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

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$188 €162

-63.10%

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

$6.73 Rp 120.2K

$22.93 €19.73

-70.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.30 Rp 505.4K

$36.71 €31.58

-22.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.12 Rp 412.8K

$57.4 €49.35

-59.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.25 Rp 218.7K

$20.70 €17.80

-40.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 58.7K

$11.19 €9.63

-70.60%

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

$175 Rp 3.1M

$721 €620

-75.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,092 Rp 55.2M

$15.0K €12.9K

-79.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.33 Rp 613.1K

$86.2 €74.2

-60.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 Rp 646.2K

$37.07 €31.89

-2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

$102 €87.8

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 Rp 1.4M

$116 €99.7

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 Rp 4.6M

$1,534 €1,319

-83.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 Rp 2.2M

$1,220 €1,050

-90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 Rp 16.2M

$2,696 €2,319

-66.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 Rp 2.7M

$2,013 €1,732

-92.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,026 Rp 18.3M

$7,220 €6,211

-85.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$722 Rp 12.9M

$5,189 €4,463

-86.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 Rp 3.4M

$2,359 €2,029

-91.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

3.39

169.91%

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

Last update for Pekanbaru: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Pekanbaru and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1141% 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: $9.00 in Pekanbaru vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $318 per month, with Pekanbaru 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

Pekanbaru vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru and Barcelona differ by about 253% in total monthly costs ($671 vs $2,367 including rent). Pekanbaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 1141% less. 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: $258 in Pekanbaru versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Pekanbaru versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Pekanbaru versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru 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, Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 253% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.