Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Islamabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Islamabad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $589 in Islamabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $918 in Islamabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,246 in Islamabad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 323% more expensive than in Islamabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Islamabad is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$3.57 PKR 990

415.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$22.74 PKR 6,309

204.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.47 PKR 1,517

158.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 PKR 986

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 PKR 1,862

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.39 PKR 663

30.96%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.32 PKR 90.0

843.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.22 PKR 60.8

790.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.99 PKR 275

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.79 PKR 220

173.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.28 PKR 354

32.03%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.28 PKR 356

285.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$6.11 PKR 1,695

192.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.06 PKR 849

214.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$5.12 PKR 1,421

277.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.34 PKR 371

141.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.84 PKR 232

159.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.02 PKR 282

161.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$0.49 PKR 135

465.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.29 PKR 81.2

662.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.33 PKR 90.4

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.29 PKR 80.8

424.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.38 PKR 106

142.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.90 PKR 528

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PKR 383

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.28 PKR 632

212.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.16 PKR 44.31

1868.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$21.23 PKR 5,889

27.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.27 PKR 353

155.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.69 PKR 191

117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$1.65 PKR 459

2014.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.32 PKR 365

32.58%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$53.9K PKR 15.0M

-32.04%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$25.1K PKR 7.0M

23.24%

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

$188 €161

$102 PKR 28.3K

83.77%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$5.83 PKR 1,618

164.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$16.34 PKR 4,534

131.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$29.09 PKR 8,071

96.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$8.93 PKR 2,478

88.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.01 PKR 1,390

131.14%

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

$1,003 €862

$75.0 PKR 20.8K

1236.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,084 PKR 1.4M

234.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$23.55 PKR 6,532

278.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$32.68 PKR 9,066

25.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$83.6 PKR 23.2K

31.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$39.29 PKR 10.9K

212.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$277 PKR 76.8K

504.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$144 PKR 40.0K

822.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$577 PKR 160.1K

349.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$266 PKR 73.9K

632.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,635 PKR 453.5K

363.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$829 PKR 230.1K

547.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$381 PKR 105.8K

529.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

13.08

-75.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $277 in Islamabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 530% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Islamabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $103 per month, with Islamabad 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 Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Islamabad differ by about 323% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $589 including rent). Islamabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 530% 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 $277 in Islamabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $75.0 in Islamabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 223% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $589 in Islamabad versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islamabad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Islamabad 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 Islamabad 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 Islamabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 323% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.