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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $382 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $573 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $765 in Skardu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 519% more expensive than Skardu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Skardu is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$1.75 PKR 488

904.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$10.62 PKR 2,956

544.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$4.11 PKR 1,144

242.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 500

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PKR 1,001

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$0.46 PKR 128

504.35%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.35 PKR 96.2

700.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.23 PKR 64.1

795.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$0.73 PKR 202

69.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$0.60 PKR 167

238.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.21 PKR 338

58.68%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.12 PKR 312

195.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$6.15 PKR 1,710

199.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$2.55 PKR 710

272.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$3.63 PKR 1,011

427.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.04 PKR 289

153.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$0.66 PKR 183

271.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.61 PKR 170

247.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$0.49 PKR 136

481.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.37 PKR 104

451.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.47 PKR 131

293.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.31 PKR 86.2

374.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.36 PKR 100

133.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 PKR 378

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 241

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 568

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$1.90 PKR 528

275.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.19 PKR 54.3

1468.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$6.91 PKR 1,923

323.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.90 PKR 250

411.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.41 PKR 114

404.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$1.75 PKR 486

1567.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.98 PKR 273

87.76%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$21.2K PKR 5.9M

83.73%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$22.8K PKR 6.4M

43.23%

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

$188 €163

$102 PKR 28.4K

83.97%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$7.18 PKR 1,999

219.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$11.13 PKR 3,096

229.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$12.57 PKR 3,498

356.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$5.83 PKR 1,624

255.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$3.61 PKR 1,006

209.97%

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

$721 €625

$29.43 PKR 8,188

2349.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$1,094 PKR 304.5K

1274.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$15.31 PKR 4,259

463.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$22.03 PKR 6,131

68.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$69.1 PKR 19.2K

47.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$29.47 PKR 8,200

293.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$74.0 PKR 20.6K

1971.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$52.2 PKR 14.5K

2238.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$167 PKR 46.5K

1512.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$108 PKR 30.0K

1766.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$917 PKR 255.1K

687.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$567 PKR 157.9K

814.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-82.16%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Skardu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $74.0 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $86.0 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 519% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $382 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $573 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $74.0 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $29.43 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 268% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Skardu versus $2,367 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 519% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.