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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,178 in Ashgabat.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,405 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 77% above, Ashgabat 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$34.57 TMT 116

-49.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$84.5 TMT 283

-19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$14.03 TMT 47.01

0.21%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.85 TMT 22.95

-59.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.28 TMT 10.99

-14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.94 TMT 3.16

119.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.17 TMT 17.33

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$14.45 TMT 48.42

-68.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$4.78 TMT 16.00

-74.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.45 TMT 8.22

-17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$7.14 TMT 23.92

-73.11%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$6.07 TMT 20.33

-45.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$40.72 TMT 136

-54.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$18.21 TMT 61.0

-47.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$18.32 TMT 61.4

4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.58 TMT 18.70

-52.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$8.68 TMT 29.09

-71.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$7.52 TMT 25.18

-71.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.56 TMT 11.94

-19.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.24 TMT 7.50

-8.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.82 TMT 6.08

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.97 TMT 6.61

-25.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.08 TMT 3.62

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$25.93 TMT 86.9

-72.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$41.52 TMT 139

-81.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.62 TMT 15.46

-70.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.85 TMT 9.53

-18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.14 TMT 0.48

2028.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$8.58 TMT 28.75

241.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.93 TMT 9.82

57.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.88 TMT 2.94

135.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$8.80 TMT 29.48

231.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.42 TMT 1.39

338.10%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$44.7K TMT 149.9K

-12.79%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$57.6K TMT 192.9K

-43.22%

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

$188 €162

$565 TMT 1,892

-66.75%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$56.7 TMT 190

-59.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$103 TMT 346

-64.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$192 TMT 643

-70.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$44.56 TMT 149

-53.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$14.24 TMT 47.72

-21.42%

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

$721 €621

$23.29 TMT 78.0

2995.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$26.2K TMT 87.6K

-42.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.8 TMT 217

33.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$122 TMT 410

-69.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$305 TMT 1,022

-66.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$187 TMT 627

-38.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,132 TMT 3,793

35.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$736 TMT 2,467

65.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,786 TMT 5,982

50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,588 TMT 5,320

26.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,519 TMT 11.8K

105.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,912 TMT 9,754

78.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$742 TMT 2,487

217.86%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,132 in Ashgabat. 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $84.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $664 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 ($2,367 vs $3,178 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 218% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $23.29 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.

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.