Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mazar-i-Sharif Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mazar-i-Sharif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $650 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $839 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 263% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mazar-i-Sharif is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$2.14 ؋141

701.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$14.56 ؋959

367.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$3.23 ؋213

322.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ؋241

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 ؋481

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$1.16 ؋76.3

139.66%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.55 ؋36.50

412.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.25 ؋16.32

684.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.59 ؋38.75

115.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.18 ؋11.83

1083.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.60 ؋105

24.37%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.55 ؋102

117.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$4.93 ؋325

284.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.66 ؋241

160.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$5.34 ؋351

250.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$0.53 ؋35.20

400.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.99 ؋65.5

137.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$0.74 ؋48.54

182.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$0.57 ؋37.23

378.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.47 ؋31.07

317.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.36 ؋23.39

402.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.41 ؋27.01

268.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.30 ؋19.78

196.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 ؋122

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ؋27.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ؋73.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$1.13 ؋74.1

500.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.52 ؋33.98

459.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$21.92 ؋1,443

30.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.75 ؋49.25

510.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.38 ؋91.0

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$1.41 ؋93.1

1936.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.10 ؋72.5

65.45%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$10.1K ؋666.6K

288.31%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$39.7K ؋2.6M

-18.10%

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

$187 €163

$109 ؋7,201

70.63%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$15.88 ؋1,045

40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$283 ؋18.6K

-87.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$10.79 ؋710

433.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$3.62 ؋238

472.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$4.19 ؋276

157.04%

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

$725 €632

$28.67 ؋1,887

2428.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$12.46 ؋820

605.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$16.99 ؋1,119

597.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$87.2 ؋5,738

1648.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$43.83 ؋2,886

2698.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$146 ؋9,630

1764.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$72.5 ؋4,771

2637.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$228 ؋15.0K

951.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $87.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 951% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $91.0 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mazar-i-Sharif differ by about 263% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $650 including rent). Mazar-i-Sharif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 951% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $87.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $28.67 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 250% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $650 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 263% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.