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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $433 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $641 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $848 in Mardan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 440% more expensive than Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.18 PKR 607

707.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$14.39 PKR 4,012

377.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.35 PKR 1,491

157.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 488

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 PKR 1,097

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.06 PKR 574

33.98%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.29 PKR 79.8

858.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.22 PKR 61.0

831.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.78 PKR 216

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.65 PKR 182

224.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.84 PKR 233

134.52%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.16 PKR 322

196.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.03 PKR 1,680

212.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.39 PKR 666

295.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$3.10 PKR 866

513.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.74 PKR 205

267.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.55 PKR 152

330.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.95 PKR 266

118.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.30 PKR 84.8

820.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.24 PKR 66.8

720.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.37 PKR 102

383.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.31 PKR 86.1

387.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.15 PKR 41.17

500.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 552

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 PKR 554

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$1.37 PKR 383

393.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.18 PKR 49.01

1583.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$7.04 PKR 1,964

303.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.36 PKR 102

1130.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.34 PKR 96.0

502.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$1.81 PKR 506

1520.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.97 PKR 271

94.85%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.8K PKR 5.8M

86.04%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

23.36%

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

$189 €161

$114 PKR 31.8K

65.20%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$5.37 PKR 1,497

313.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$18.43 PKR 5,137

99.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$12.43 PKR 3,464

366.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$5.91 PKR 1,647

255.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.18 PKR 1,165

164.35%

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

$726 €622

$17.36 PKR 4,839

4084.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,128 PKR 314.4K

1250.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$21.42 PKR 5,970

312.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$27.91 PKR 7,781

32.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$89.5 PKR 25.0K

14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$17.55 PKR 4,893

579.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$75.8 PKR 21.1K

1914.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$51.6 PKR 14.4K

2259.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$164 PKR 45.8K

1600.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$108 PKR 30.1K

1776.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$270 PKR 75.2K

791.57%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $75.8 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 792% 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 $320 vs $78.0 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 440% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $433 including rent). Mardan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 792% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $75.8 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $17.36 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 308% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $433 in Mardan versus $2,341 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 440% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.