‘Rs 3.5 lakh weekly rental for a 3BHK’: Man compares expensive living costs in Europe with India after his one-week stay in a Barcelona Airbnb

An Indian founder's trip to Barcelona has turned into a talking point online after he revealed what his week long stay actually cost him. Shiv Pratap Singh shared a video of the three bedroom Airbnb he booked in the city, and the price tag attached to it left many viewers stunned.

Rs 3.5 Lakh Airbnb Cost In Barcelona
Singh opened his video by addressing people back home who feel rents in India are already too high. "If you live in India and think that inflation has gotten very high and rents are very high in India, right now I am in Barcelona, Spain," he said. "We have taken a 3BHK apartment from Airbnb that cost us 3.5 lakh rupees in Indian currency."



3BHK Barcelona Apartment Walkthrough
Singh then walked viewers through the property, starting with the living area. "Right now, I am standing here in a living room. There is a sofa placed here, a dining table here, and a TV mounted here," he said, before moving to the kitchen, which had a refrigerator and oven, though guests still had to buy their own groceries during the stay.

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A post shared by Shiv Pratap Singh (@shivhexa.in)

Spacious Balcony Inside The Airbnb
The balcony got a special mention in the video. "The balcony is very nice, quite spacious," Singh said. "You could host a get-together of about 20 people here on the balcony. You can comfortably set up tables and sit out here, host a party."

After the tour, Singh used the cost of his stay to make a broader comparison. "Pick any European country, go to any country, and compared to India, you will find it way more expensive," he said, adding that his video was meant to show people what rents actually look like outside India.

Weekly Or Monthly, Users Ask
The video quickly drew questions about whether Rs 3.5 lakh was the cost for a month or a week. One user asked, "One month ka rate h itna" (Is this the rate for one month). Singh replied, "No, it is just for a week."

Salary Gap Between India And Barcelona
Not everyone agreed with the comparison Singh made. One user wrote, "I mean yes India is much costly than Barcelona, In Barcelona average gross salary of people is 30-40 lakhs per year in Indian Currency, and in Indian average salary of a person is 3-4 lakhs per year, bruhhh what data are you even comparing these based on." The same user added, "don't act like Indian News channels pleasee."

Some comments took a more measured view of the debate. One user wrote, "It really highlights the massive difference between purchasing power parity (PPP) and lifestyle expectations. India can be expensive in premium pockets, but Europe's rental market is on another level entirely."

Others reacted with simple disbelief at the figure itself. One user commented, "3.5 lakhs per week?? Kuch zyada luxury apartment h ky, bcz me 45k me reh rha hu" (Isn't this a bit too luxury of an apartment, because I live in Rs 45,000).

Singh's own caption for the video read, "Rs 3.5 lakh rent for just one week in Barcelona."


(Disclaimer: This article is based on a viral social media post and online reactions. The Economic Times cannot independently verify the authenticity of the content and does not claim or endorse it.)​​