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: $3,334 in Ashgabat versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,091 in Ashgabat versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,848 in Ashgabat versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 143% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.57 TMT 106

$18.39 €15.83

71.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 TMT 285

$69.2 €59.5

22.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 TMT 43.06

$14.13 €12.16

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$6.88 TMT 23.05

$3.13 €2.70

119.81%

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

$1.59 TMT 5.34

$3.02 €2.59

-47.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$1.96 €1.69

-58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 TMT 19.44

$4.00 €3.44

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.72 TMT 45.96

$4.76 €4.10

188.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.41 TMT 14.77

$1.25 €1.07

252.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 TMT 6.99

$2.16 €1.86

-3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 TMT 20.14

$1.69 €1.45

255.62%

Eggs

$6.10 TMT 20.44

$4.93 €4.24

23.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.39 TMT 125

$17.88 €15.39

109.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.96 TMT 66.9

$9.61 €8.27

107.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.41 TMT 78.4

$19.34 €16.64

21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 TMT 16.61

$3.24 €2.78

53.09%

Banana (1kg)

$8.53 TMT 28.59

$2.18 €1.87

291.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.59 TMT 25.42

$2.67 €2.30

184.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 TMT 12.05

$2.77 €2.39

29.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 TMT 7.78

$2.21 €1.90

4.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 TMT 4.69

$2.19 €1.88

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 TMT 8.67

$1.52 €1.31

70.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 TMT 3.64

$0.92 €0.79

18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.76 TMT 86.3

$7.12 €6.13

261.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$40.58 TMT 136

$8.14 €7.00

398.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.11 TMT 17.11

$1.50 €1.29

240.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TMT 9.65

$2.78 €2.39

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.48

$3.15 €2.71

-95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 TMT 33.80

$26.99 €23.23

-62.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 TMT 9.26

$3.25 €2.80

-15.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$1.50 €1.29

-45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 TMT 29.31

$34.89 €30.03

-74.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.49

$1.75 €1.50

-74.86%

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

$43.6K TMT 146.1K

$36.7K €31.5K

18.93%

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

$58.1K TMT 194.6K

$30.9K €26.6K

87.75%

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

$577 TMT 1,934

$188 €161

207.66%

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

$56.5 TMT 189

$15.44 €13.29

266.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 344

$37.80 €32.52

171.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$196 TMT 657

$57.2 €49.21

242.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.21 TMT 148

$16.80 €14.45

163.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 TMT 29.14

$11.58 €9.96

-24.87%

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

$23.24 TMT 77.8

$1,003 €863

-97.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K TMT 82.8K

$17.0K €14.6K

45.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 TMT 184

$89.2 €76.8

-38.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$113 TMT 378

$40.87 €35.17

176.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$362 TMT 1,212

$110 €94.6

229.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 TMT 645

$123 €106

57.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 TMT 3,793

$1,673 €1,440

-32.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 TMT 3,337

$1,331 €1,146

-25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 TMT 7,636

$2,596 €2,234

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 TMT 6,532

$1,950 €1,678

-0.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,565 TMT 11.9K

$7,573 €6,517

-52.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,854 TMT 9,559

$5,370 €4,621

-46.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$737 TMT 2,470

$2,402 €2,067

-69.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

3.16

200.63%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Ashgabat and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 226% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Ashgabat vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $666 vs $332 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 ($3,334 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 226% 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: $1,132 in Ashgabat versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.24 in Ashgabat versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% 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.