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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $500 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $767 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,033 in Mardan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 395% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Mardan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.59 PKR 994

422.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$23.00 PKR 6,371

202.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.53 PKR 1,531

149.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.62 PKR 725

18.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.36 PKR 98.5

686.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.23 PKR 64.0

717.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.91 PKR 252

39.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.79 PKR 220

173.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.29 PKR 357

36.43%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.21 PKR 336

323.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$2.97 PKR 823

502.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.12 PKR 864

209.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$3.74 PKR 1,035

438.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$0.94 PKR 260

245.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.74 PKR 205

201.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.06 PKR 295

145.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.37 PKR 103

645.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.28 PKR 78.3

689.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.35 PKR 98.2

505.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.28 PKR 76.4

453.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.37 PKR 103

156.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.78 PKR 493

312.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.16 PKR 43.23

1843.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$10.72 PKR 2,970

141.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.30 PKR 359

151.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.74 PKR 205

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.66 PKR 460

1964.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.02 PKR 283

69.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

69.58%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

27.20%

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

$187 €163

$104 PKR 28.9K

79.61%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$5.69 PKR 1,575

166.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$15.72 PKR 4,353

139.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$14.73 PKR 4,079

279.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.34 PKR 1,203

162.90%

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

$997 €869

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

1224.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

1507.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$24.74 PKR 6,852

274.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$34.30 PKR 9,501

20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

207.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$128 PKR 35.4K

1237.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

1546.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$250 PKR 69.4K

924.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$151 PKR 41.7K

1188.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$994 PKR 275.4K

669.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$591 PKR 163.8K

774.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

13.08

-75.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $128 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $85.0 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 395% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $500 including rent). Mardan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $750 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $128 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $75.2 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 295% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mardan versus $2,476 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 395% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.