Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skardu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skardu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $437 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $661 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $885 in Skardu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 471% more expensive than in Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Skardu is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.38 PKR 660

672.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$12.05 PKR 3,341

474.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.76 PKR 1,319

196.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PKR 778

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 PKR 1,403

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$1.44 PKR 399

117.36%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.39 PKR 107

674.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.23 PKR 64.6

752.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.87 PKR 242

43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.59 PKR 164

266.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.15 PKR 320

46.96%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.23 PKR 340

300.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$6.30 PKR 1,745

183.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$2.53 PKR 701

279.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$5.19 PKR 1,439

272.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.12 PKR 309

189.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$0.59 PKR 163

269.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.74 PKR 205

260.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.46 PKR 128

502.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.31 PKR 86.8

612.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.33 PKR 90.5

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.33 PKR 90.4

360.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.38 PKR 104

142.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 492

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PKR 283

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PKR 765

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$1.91 PKR 530

272.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.18 PKR 48.91

1650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$8.63 PKR 2,393

212.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.18 PKR 328

175.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.77 PKR 213

94.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$1.70 PKR 470

1952.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.13 PKR 313

54.87%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.3K PKR 5.4M

89.74%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$22.2K PKR 6.1M

39.55%

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

$188 €161

$103 PKR 28.5K

82.34%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$3.60 PKR 998

328.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$13.74 PKR 3,810

175.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$14.51 PKR 4,023

294.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$3.93 PKR 1,089

194.66%

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

$1,003 €863

$46.28 PKR 12.8K

2066.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$951 PKR 263.8K

1688.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$13.70 PKR 3,798

551.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$19.12 PKR 5,302

113.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$82.6 PKR 22.9K

33.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$28.62 PKR 7,935

328.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$127 PKR 35.1K

1222.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$66.6 PKR 18.5K

1899.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$253 PKR 70.1K

926.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$162 PKR 44.9K

1103.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$901 PKR 249.8K

740.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$469 PKR 129.9K

1045.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

12.88

-75.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Skardu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $127 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $12.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $93.0 per month, with Skardu 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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Skardu differ by about 471% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $437 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $656 in Skardu 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $127 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $46.28 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 256% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Skardu versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu 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 Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 471% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.