Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karachi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karachi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $477 in Karachi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $727 in Karachi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $978 in Karachi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 397% more expensive than Karachi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Karachi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.14 PKR 595

721.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$12.44 PKR 3,461

450.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.06 PKR 1,129

246.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 PKR 553

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 PKR 1,451

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.89 PKR 525

47.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.36 PKR 101

677.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.23 PKR 64.2

795.65%

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

$0.83 PKR 231

49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.58 PKR 161

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.13 PKR 315

69.91%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.21 PKR 337

173.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.29 PKR 1,749

193.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.19 PKR 887

197.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$4.91 PKR 1,365

290.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.03 PKR 287

156.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.58 PKR 162

322.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.93 PKR 258

127.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.56 PKR 156

408.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.39 PKR 108

423.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.51 PKR 141

262.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.38 PKR 107

286.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.43 PKR 120

95.35%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 356

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 PKR 351

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 PKR 580

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.08 PKR 580

243.27%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.4

776.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$6.33 PKR 1,762

362.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.74 PKR 205

521.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.61 PKR 171

239.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$1.79 PKR 497

1530.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.92 PKR 256

100.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$16.4K PKR 4.6M

137.86%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

33.60%

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

$188 €162

$132 PKR 36.8K

41.97%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$4.90 PKR 1,362

367.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$13.63 PKR 3,791

169.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$15.55 PKR 4,325

268.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.33 PKR 3,986

44.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.33 PKR 1,203

158.43%

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

$721 €621

$58.0 PKR 16.1K

1143.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,402 PKR 389.9K

973.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$17.73 PKR 4,932

386.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$25.51 PKR 7,097

45.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$64.2 PKR 17.8K

59.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$35.86 PKR 9,975

223.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$122 PKR 33.8K

1160.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$73.9 PKR 20.6K

1550.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$323 PKR 89.8K

734.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$182 PKR 50.6K

1006.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$985 PKR 273.9K

633.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$457 PKR 127.2K

1034.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$181 PKR 50.2K

1207.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.8

-80.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Karachi: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $122 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1207% 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 $12.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $97.0 per month, with Karachi 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 Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Karachi differ by about 397% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $477 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1207% 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 $122 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $58.0 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 227% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $477 in Karachi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi 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 Karachi 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 397% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.