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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $529 in Islamabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $835 in Islamabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Islamabad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 347% more expensive than Islamabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Islamabad is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.80 PKR 779

527.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$14.22 PKR 3,955

381.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.44 PKR 1,512

158.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PKR 478

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,112

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.00 PKR 557

39.00%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.43 PKR 119

551.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.22 PKR 61.1

836.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.94 PKR 260

31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.62 PKR 173

227.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.21 PKR 338

58.68%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.20 PKR 335

175.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.07 PKR 1,689

203.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.39 PKR 942

179.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$4.38 PKR 1,218

337.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.03 PKR 287

156.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.78 PKR 216

214.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.93 PKR 260

127.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.60 PKR 166

375.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.41 PKR 115

397.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.54 PKR 149

242.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.34 PKR 93.3

332.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.37 PKR 103

127.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.93 PKR 537

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PKR 251

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 PKR 552

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.14 PKR 596

233.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.19 PKR 52.2

1468.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$6.90 PKR 1,921

324.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.86 PKR 238

434.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.44 PKR 122

370.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$2.81 PKR 782

938.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.91 PKR 253

102.20%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.5K PKR 6.0M

81.37%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$26.1K PKR 7.3M

25.05%

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

$188 €162

$112 PKR 31.1K

68.09%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$5.44 PKR 1,512

321.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.81 PKR 5,234

95.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$22.19 PKR 6,174

158.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$6.04 PKR 1,679

242.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.21 PKR 1,171

165.80%

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

$721 €621

$60.3 PKR 16.8K

1095.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$2,805 PKR 780.2K

436.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$21.57 PKR 5,999

299.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$27.63 PKR 7,686

34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$88.1 PKR 24.5K

15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$39.91 PKR 11.1K

190.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$198 PKR 55.1K

674.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$112 PKR 31.1K

991.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$513 PKR 142.6K

425.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$296 PKR 82.3K

580.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$1,551 PKR 431.4K

365.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$657 PKR 182.9K

689.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$387 PKR 107.8K

509.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

20.2

-83.22%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $198 in Islamabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 509% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Islamabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $98.0 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 347% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $529 including rent). Islamabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 509% 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 $198 in Islamabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $60.3 in Islamabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 224% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $529 in Islamabad versus $2,367 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 347% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.