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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,149 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $4,892 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $6,636 in Ashgabat.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 26% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ashgabat 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$34.40 TMT 116

-48.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$85.5 TMT 287

-18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$14.22 TMT 47.77

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$7.19 TMT 24.17

-61.06%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.17 TMT 10.67

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.94 TMT 3.16

119.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$5.28 TMT 17.74

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$14.19 TMT 47.67

-66.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$4.85 TMT 16.29

-74.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.43 TMT 8.18

-16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$7.15 TMT 24.02

-72.31%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$6.12 TMT 20.57

-42.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$40.33 TMT 136

-54.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$18.24 TMT 61.3

-46.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$18.50 TMT 62.2

3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.59 TMT 18.77

-51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$9.01 TMT 30.27

-73.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$7.83 TMT 26.32

-73.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.62 TMT 12.17

-24.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.25 TMT 7.57

-12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.83 TMT 6.14

-2.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.98 TMT 6.65

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.14 TMT 3.82

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$26.11 TMT 87.7

-72.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$41.56 TMT 140

-81.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$4.69 TMT 15.75

-70.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.80 TMT 9.41

-14.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.16 TMT 0.53

1781.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$8.37 TMT 28.12

250.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.84 TMT 9.56

53.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.83 TMT 2.78

156.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.80 TMT 29.57

236.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.45 TMT 1.50

304.44%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$44.8K TMT 150.5K

-15.41%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$57.2K TMT 192.1K

-43.37%

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

$189 €166

$569 TMT 1,911

-66.76%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$57.6 TMT 194

-61.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$103 TMT 345

-63.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$195 TMT 657

-70.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$44.83 TMT 151

-53.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$14.37 TMT 48.27

-24.36%

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

$706 €618

$22.96 TMT 77.2

2975.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$25.2K TMT 84.8K

-41.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$66.5 TMT 223

34.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$121 TMT 407

-69.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$304 TMT 1,021

-65.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$187 TMT 627

-36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,109 TMT 3,726

42.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$739 TMT 2,482

67.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,797 TMT 6,038

50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,578 TMT 5,301

29.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,489 TMT 11.7K

115.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,850 TMT 9,575

83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$763 TMT 2,564

209.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.5

-64.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,109 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 210% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $86.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $669 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

Barcelona vs Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ashgabat differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $3,149 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,109 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $22.96 in Ashgabat. 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.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,149 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Barcelona and Ashgabat 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 36% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.