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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $484 in Karachi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $735 in Karachi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $987 in Karachi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 379% more expensive than in Karachi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Karachi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$2.06 PKR 572

757.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$12.56 PKR 3,487

454.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$3.99 PKR 1,108

254.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 PKR 537

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 PKR 1,463

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.81 PKR 503

54.70%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.33 PKR 92.7

751.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.21 PKR 58.0

880.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.79 PKR 220

55.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.58 PKR 161

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.18 PKR 328

67.80%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.15 PKR 321

203.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$6.41 PKR 1,781

185.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$3.12 PKR 867

215.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$5.09 PKR 1,413

275.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.03 PKR 286

165.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.60 PKR 166

296.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.92 PKR 257

126.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.57 PKR 159

382.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.35 PKR 98.2

460.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.50 PKR 140

258.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 PKR 99.8

311.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.41 PKR 113

121.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 367

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 PKR 573

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.16 PKR 599

230.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

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 €2.63

$0.33 PKR 92.7

812.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$6.43 PKR 1,785

356.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.74 PKR 206

489.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.61 PKR 170

249.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$1.74 PKR 484

1601.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.94 PKR 261

93.62%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$16.7K PKR 4.6M

126.30%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.3K PKR 7.0M

28.13%

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

$189 €165

$134 PKR 37.3K

40.69%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$5.00 PKR 1,388

345.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$13.28 PKR 3,689

179.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$15.87 PKR 4,406

265.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.35 PKR 3,984

43.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.34 PKR 1,206

150.46%

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

$706 €618

$58.8 PKR 16.3K

1101.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,356 PKR 376.6K

996.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$17.71 PKR 4,919

405.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$25.79 PKR 7,163

41.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$64.2 PKR 17.8K

61.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$35.84 PKR 9,953

233.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$118 PKR 32.8K

1234.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$74.7 PKR 20.7K

1557.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$319 PKR 88.6K

750.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$181 PKR 50.3K

1025.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$932 PKR 258.7K

707.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$433 PKR 120.3K

1109.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$177 PKR 49.1K

1235.65%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Karachi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1236% 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 $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 379% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $484 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1236% 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 $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $58.8 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 $484 in Karachi versus $2,320 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 379% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.