Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mardan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mardan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 456% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.06 PKR 571

732.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$14.31 PKR 3,970

375.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.36 PKR 1,487

154.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.00 PKR 556

39.00%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.31 PKR 87.1

809.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.24 PKR 66.7

716.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.77 PKR 214

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.62 PKR 171

243.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.84 PKR 233

136.90%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.19 PKR 331

183.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.33 PKR 1,756

199.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.31 PKR 641

312.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$3.26 PKR 904

474.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.69 PKR 191

284.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.55 PKR 152

327.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.96 PKR 268

117.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.33 PKR 92.6

727.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.24 PKR 66.6

716.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.37 PKR 102

389.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.33 PKR 91.8

357.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.13 PKR 35.05

584.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.43 PKR 398

374.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.18 PKR 49.54

1516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$6.89 PKR 1,911

315.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.36 PKR 101

1172.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.34 PKR 94.9

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$1.81 PKR 502

1486.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.89 PKR 248

104.49%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

84.93%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

23.36%

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

$187 €162

$112 PKR 31.1K

66.38%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.55 PKR 1,540

301.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$18.45 PKR 5,120

97.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$12.30 PKR 3,414

367.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$5.99 PKR 1,664

246.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.26 PKR 1,181

152.82%

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

$725 €628

$17.48 PKR 4,851

4046.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

1262.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$21.33 PKR 5,920

311.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.63 PKR 7,669

33.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$17.39 PKR 4,827

581.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

1916.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

2266.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$167 PKR 46.3K

1535.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$105 PKR 29.1K

1791.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$867 PKR 240.6K

761.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$511 PKR 141.9K

925.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $79.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mardan differ by about 456% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $424 including rent). Mardan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $636 in Mardan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 305% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan 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 Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 456% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.