Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mashhad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mashhad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $470 in Mashhad.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Mashhad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 427% more expensive than in Mashhad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Mashhad is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.01 $3.01

522.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$18.34 $18.34

278.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.97 $4.97

177.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.60 $0.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.13 $1.13

174.34%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.43 $0.43

558.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.28 $0.28

571.43%

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

$0.61 $0.61

108.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.17 $0.17

1170.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.93 $1.93

-8.81%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.15 $1.15

346.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$2.17 $2.17

723.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.73 $2.73

253.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.12 $10.12

99.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$0.94 $0.94

245.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.55 $1.55

43.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.81 $0.81

220.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.58 $0.58

375.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.53 $0.53

316.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.44 $0.44

381.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.48 $0.48

222.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.29 $0.29

227.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.92 $0.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.05 $3.05

140.66%

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

$0.02 $0.02

15450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$3.60 $3.60

618.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.17 $0.17

1823.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.48 $0.48

208.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.01 $2.01

1604.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.82 $0.82

110.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$59.1K $59.1K

-38.45%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$66.3K $66.3K

-53.94%

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

$187 €163

$13.67 $13.67

1268.54%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$2.64 $2.64

473.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$27.60 $27.60

36.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$19.52 $19.52

186.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$14.83 $14.83

15.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$2.03 $2.03

462.07%

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

$997 €869

$39.89 $39.89

2398.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$612 $612

2599.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$19.96 $19.96

364.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.25 $38.25

7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$92.1 $92.1

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$68.3 $68.3

83.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$211 $211

709.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$150 $150

755.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$394 $394

551.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$267 $267

628.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,132 $1,132

575.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$692 $692

646.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$253 $253

828.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

21.6

-85.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $211 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 828% 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 $18.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $99.0 per month, with Mashhad 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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mashhad differ by about 427% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $470 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 828% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $211 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $39.89 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 241% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $470 in Mashhad versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad 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 Mashhad 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 Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 427% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.