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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $534 in Islamabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $847 in Islamabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,160 in Islamabad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 334% more expensive than in Islamabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Islamabad is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.85 PKR 791

519.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$14.26 PKR 3,960

388.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.44 PKR 1,511

160.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PKR 477

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 PKR 1,061

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.97 PKR 547

42.13%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.40 PKR 110

602.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.24 PKR 67.0

758.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.96 PKR 268

28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.66 PKR 183

207.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.28 PKR 355

54.69%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.20 PKR 334

190.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.07 PKR 1,687

201.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.37 PKR 937

191.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$4.35 PKR 1,209

339.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.04 PKR 289

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.84 PKR 234

183.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.91 PKR 253

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.56 PKR 156

391.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.41 PKR 115

378.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.57 PKR 158

214.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 PKR 85.4

377.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.41 PKR 113

121.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 555

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 258

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 567

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.14 PKR 595

233.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.17 PKR 46.51

1670.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$7.22 PKR 2,005

306.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.85 PKR 236

412.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.43 PKR 120

395.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.79 PKR 775

960.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.98 PKR 271

85.71%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.9K PKR 5.8M

81.29%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.9K PKR 7.2M

24.83%

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

$189 €166

$114 PKR 31.6K

66.25%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$5.41 PKR 1,501

312.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.69 PKR 5,190

98.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$22.13 PKR 6,144

162.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$6.12 PKR 1,698

237.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.14 PKR 1,150

162.56%

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

$706 €618

$60.2 PKR 16.7K

1073.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,753 PKR 764.4K

440.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$21.08 PKR 5,854

324.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$27.64 PKR 7,674

32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$87.8 PKR 24.4K

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$40.94 PKR 11.4K

191.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$199 PKR 55.3K

693.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$110 PKR 30.5K

1025.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$505 PKR 140.1K

437.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$299 PKR 83.0K

582.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,513 PKR 420.1K

397.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$647 PKR 179.8K

709.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$385 PKR 106.9K

513.93%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $199 in Islamabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 514% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Islamabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $100 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 334% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $534 including rent). Islamabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 514% 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 $199 in Islamabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $60.2 in Islamabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 221% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $534 in Islamabad versus $2,320 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 334% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.