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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $661 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $843 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,024 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 254% more expensive than Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mazar-i-Sharif is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.13 ؋136

701.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$14.31 ؋918

383.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$3.38 ؋217

307.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ؋226

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 ؋456

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.11 ؋71.2

148.65%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.52 ؋33.56

436.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.25 ؋16.01

696.00%

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

$0.59 ؋38.09

118.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.22 ؋13.96

831.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.60 ؋102

24.37%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.61 ؋103

110.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$4.89 ؋314

284.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.70 ؋238

152.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$5.50 ؋353

247.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.56 ؋36.16

382.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.95 ؋61.1

146.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.72 ؋46.12

194.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.56 ؋35.77

408.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.43 ؋27.66

358.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.39 ؋24.70

361.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.42 ؋26.90

245.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.30 ؋19.32

186.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋119

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ؋71.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.18 ؋75.6

474.58%

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

$0.51 ؋32.73

472.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$21.98 ؋1,410

30.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.70 ؋45.12

537.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.33 ؋85.2

54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$1.47 ؋94.2

1910.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.15 ؋74.0

58.26%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$9,892 ؋634.6K

292.52%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$39.7K ؋2.5M

-16.64%

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

$189 €163

$111 ؋7,135

70.16%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$15.54 ؋997

46.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$292 ؋18.7K

-87.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$10.60 ؋680

444.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$3.67 ؋236

465.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.42 ؋284

144.80%

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

$728 €628

$28.24 ؋1,812

2479.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$12.29 ؋788

621.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$17.33 ؋1,112

569.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$86.9 ؋5,575

1705.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$42.51 ؋2,727

2765.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$145 ؋9,321

1824.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$70.9 ؋4,547

2687.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$239 ؋15.4K

879.19%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $86.9 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 879% 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 Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $92.0 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 254% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $661 including rent). Mazar-i-Sharif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 879% 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 $86.9 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $28.24 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 246% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $661 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,337 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 254% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.