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

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

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

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 25% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$31.57 TMT 106

-41.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$85.0 TMT 285

-18.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$12.85 TMT 43.06

9.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$6.88 TMT 23.05

-54.51%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.59 TMT 5.34

89.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.82 TMT 2.75

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.80 TMT 19.44

-31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$13.72 TMT 45.96

-65.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$4.41 TMT 14.77

-71.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.09 TMT 6.99

3.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$6.01 TMT 20.14

-71.88%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$6.10 TMT 20.44

-19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$37.39 TMT 125

-52.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$19.96 TMT 66.9

-51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$23.41 TMT 78.4

-17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.96 TMT 16.61

-34.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$8.53 TMT 28.59

-74.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$7.59 TMT 25.42

-64.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.60 TMT 12.05

-23.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.32 TMT 7.78

-4.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.40 TMT 4.69

56.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.59 TMT 8.67

-41.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.09 TMT 3.64

-15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$25.76 TMT 86.3

-72.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$40.58 TMT 136

-79.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$5.11 TMT 17.11

-70.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.88 TMT 9.65

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.14 TMT 0.48

2150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$10.09 TMT 33.80

167.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.76 TMT 9.26

17.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.82 TMT 2.75

82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$8.75 TMT 29.31

298.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.44 TMT 1.49

297.73%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$43.6K TMT 146.1K

-15.92%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$58.1K TMT 194.6K

-46.74%

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

$188 €161

$577 TMT 1,934

-67.50%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$56.5 TMT 189

-72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$103 TMT 344

-63.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$196 TMT 657

-70.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$44.21 TMT 148

-62.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$8.70 TMT 29.14

33.10%

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

$1,003 €863

$23.24 TMT 77.8

4214.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$24.7K TMT 82.8K

-31.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$55.0 TMT 184

62.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$113 TMT 378

-63.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$362 TMT 1,212

-69.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$193 TMT 645

-36.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,132 TMT 3,793

47.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$996 TMT 3,337

33.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$2,279 TMT 7,636

13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,950 TMT 6,532

0.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,565 TMT 11.9K

112.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,854 TMT 9,559

88.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$737 TMT 2,470

225.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

9.5

-66.74%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,132 in Ashgabat. 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $666 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $3,334 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 226% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $23.24 in Ashgabat. 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, 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 34% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.