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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $475 in Karachi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $735 in Karachi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $995 in Karachi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 422% more expensive than in Karachi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Karachi is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$2.11 PKR 584

772.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$14.17 PKR 3,924

389.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.56 PKR 1,540

152.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 PKR 591

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 PKR 1,988

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.29 PKR 633

35.81%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.38 PKR 106

678.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.24 PKR 66.0

712.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.85 PKR 237

55.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.57 PKR 157

270.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.22 PKR 337

50.00%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.22 PKR 339

322.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$6.08 PKR 1,684

188.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.14 PKR 870

202.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$6.25 PKR 1,732

218.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.22 PKR 339

159.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.59 PKR 163

274.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.99 PKR 274

163.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.56 PKR 154

408.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.35 PKR 95.7

520.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.33 PKR 91.5

539.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.36 PKR 101

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.40 PKR 111

120.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 PKR 357

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 367

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 PKR 692

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$1.79 PKR 496

300.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.30 PKR 83.7

946.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$7.95 PKR 2,201

230.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.70 PKR 195

360.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.73 PKR 203

106.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$2.12 PKR 587

1563.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.34 PKR 371

30.60%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

103.57%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$27.2K PKR 7.5M

16.39%

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

$187 €161

$110 PKR 30.5K

70.09%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$5.71 PKR 1,582

164.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$13.12 PKR 3,634

186.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$21.28 PKR 5,896

160.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$18.76 PKR 5,198

-10.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$4.20 PKR 1,164

178.81%

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

$1,011 €871

$50.3 PKR 13.9K

1908.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$1,589 PKR 440.2K

974.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$15.49 PKR 4,290

489.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$22.03 PKR 6,104

86.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$67.7 PKR 18.7K

63.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$38.00 PKR 10.5K

231.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$108 PKR 29.8K

1484.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$71.6 PKR 19.8K

1713.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$323 PKR 89.4K

701.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$184 PKR 51.0K

948.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,036 PKR 287.0K

646.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$470 PKR 130.2K

1045.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$182 PKR 50.4K

1205.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

12.88

-75.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Karachi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $108 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1206% 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 $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $101 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 422% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $475 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1206% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $108 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $50.3 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 230% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $475 in Karachi versus $2,482 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 422% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.