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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $433 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $639 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $844 in Mardan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 439% more expensive than Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.13 PKR 593

701.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$14.42 PKR 4,010

380.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.18 PKR 1,441

166.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 PKR 497

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 PKR 1,074

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.00 PKR 556

38.00%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.31 PKR 86.2

800.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.22 PKR 60.9

804.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.81 PKR 224

59.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.66 PKR 185

210.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.85 PKR 235

134.12%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.15 PKR 320

194.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.23 PKR 1,733

201.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.38 PKR 661

293.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$3.26 PKR 907

486.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.69 PKR 192

291.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.55 PKR 154

325.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.94 PKR 263

125.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.33 PKR 92.2

763.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.24 PKR 66.1

720.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.33 PKR 92.9

445.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.33 PKR 91.8

339.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.12 PKR 34.05

616.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.46 PKR 405

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 PKR 255

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 544

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.38 PKR 384

391.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.16 PKR 45.73

1725.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$7.25 PKR 2,016

295.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.37 PKR 102

1105.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.37 PKR 103

454.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$1.75 PKR 487

1588.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.95 PKR 265

91.58%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.0K PKR 5.8M

85.05%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.1K PKR 7.3M

26.75%

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

$189 €163

$112 PKR 31.2K

68.85%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$5.62 PKR 1,562

305.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$18.99 PKR 5,280

97.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$12.30 PKR 3,420

369.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$5.78 PKR 1,607

258.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.13 PKR 1,147

161.99%

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

$728 €628

$17.76 PKR 4,937

4001.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,095 PKR 304.3K

1249.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$21.73 PKR 6,043

307.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$28.38 PKR 7,891

29.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$87.3 PKR 24.3K

16.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$17.89 PKR 4,973

548.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

2024.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$52.5 PKR 14.6K

2218.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$164 PKR 45.5K

1606.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$108 PKR 29.9K

1737.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$774 PKR 215.2K

901.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$424 PKR 118.0K

1119.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$268 PKR 74.4K

775.84%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mardan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $73.9 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 776% 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 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 439% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $433 including rent). Mardan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 776% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $73.9 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $17.76 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 302% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $433 in Mardan versus $2,337 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 439% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.