Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,178 in Ashgabat versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,791 in Ashgabat versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,405 in Ashgabat versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 34% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 137% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.57 TMT 116

$17.58 €15.12

96.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 TMT 284

$68.4 €58.9

23.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.03 TMT 47.15

$14.06 €12.09

-0.21%

Cappuccino

$6.85 TMT 23.02

$2.78 €2.39

146.40%

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

$3.28 TMT 11.03

$2.80 €2.41

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 TMT 3.17

$2.06 €1.78

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 TMT 17.38

$4.46 €3.84

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.45 TMT 48.56

$4.61 €3.96

213.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.78 TMT 16.05

$1.24 €1.07

285.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 TMT 8.25

$2.03 €1.74

20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.14 TMT 23.99

$1.92 €1.65

271.88%

Eggs

$6.07 TMT 20.39

$3.31 €2.85

83.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.72 TMT 137

$18.43 €15.85

120.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.21 TMT 61.2

$9.49 €8.16

91.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 TMT 61.6

$19.16 €16.48

-4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 TMT 18.75

$2.64 €2.27

111.36%

Banana (1kg)

$8.68 TMT 29.17

$2.45 €2.11

254.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.52 TMT 25.26

$2.12 €1.82

254.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 TMT 11.98

$2.85 €2.45

24.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 TMT 7.52

$2.04 €1.75

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 TMT 6.10

$1.85 €1.59

-1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 TMT 6.63

$1.47 €1.26

34.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 TMT 3.63

$0.84 €0.73

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.93 TMT 87.1

$7.14 €6.14

263.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.52 TMT 140

$7.88 €6.78

426.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 TMT 15.51

$1.38 €1.19

234.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TMT 9.56

$2.31 €1.99

23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.48

$2.98 €2.56

-95.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 TMT 28.84

$29.26 €25.17

-70.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 TMT 9.85

$4.60 €3.95

-36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 TMT 2.95

$2.07 €1.78

-57.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 TMT 29.57

$29.18 €25.10

-69.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.40

$1.84 €1.58

-77.17%

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

$44.7K TMT 150.3K

$39.0K €33.6K

14.66%

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

$57.6K TMT 193.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

76.13%

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

$565 TMT 1,898

$188 €162

200.76%

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

$56.7 TMT 191

$22.93 €19.73

147.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$36.71 €31.58

181.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$192 TMT 645

$57.4 €49.35

234.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.56 TMT 150

$20.70 €17.80

115.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 TMT 47.86

$11.19 €9.63

27.26%

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

$23.29 TMT 78.3

$721 €620

-96.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K TMT 87.9K

$15.0K €12.9K

73.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 TMT 218

$86.2 €74.2

-24.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 TMT 411

$37.07 €31.89

230.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$305 TMT 1,025

$102 €87.8

198.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 TMT 629

$116 €99.7

61.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 TMT 3,804

$1,534 €1,319

-26.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 TMT 2,474

$1,220 €1,050

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 TMT 6,000

$2,696 €2,319

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 TMT 5,336

$2,013 €1,732

-21.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,519 TMT 11.8K

$7,220 €6,211

-51.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,912 TMT 9,783

$5,189 €4,463

-43.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$742 TMT 2,494

$2,359 €2,029

-68.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

3.39

180.24%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Ashgabat and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 218% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Ashgabat vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $664 vs $318 per month, with Barcelona 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

Ashgabat vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Barcelona differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,178 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 218% 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: $1,132 in Ashgabat versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.29 in Ashgabat 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 109% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Ashgabat 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.