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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $377 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $576 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $775 in Skardu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 514% more expensive than in Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Skardu is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$1.79 PKR 497

860.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$10.50 PKR 2,916

573.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$4.14 PKR 1,149

238.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 PKR 998

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$0.42 PKR 117

561.90%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.34 PKR 94.9

717.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.23 PKR 63.9

791.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.77 PKR 215

67.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.56 PKR 155

282.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.21 PKR 336

59.50%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.17 PKR 324

198.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$6.00 PKR 1,665

208.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$2.60 PKR 721

266.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$3.71 PKR 1,031

409.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.05 PKR 290

149.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$0.66 PKR 183

254.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.67 PKR 186

210.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$0.49 PKR 135

481.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.35 PKR 95.9

460.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.50 PKR 140

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.31 PKR 85.6

393.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.36 PKR 100

150.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.55 PKR 429

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 259

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 560

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$1.98 PKR 550

241.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.20 PKR 56.5

1400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$7.10 PKR 1,972

303.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$0.84 PKR 233

445.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.40 PKR 111

432.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$1.78 PKR 495

1560.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.96 PKR 265

87.50%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$21.5K PKR 6.0M

79.13%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

46.67%

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

$185 €162

$102 PKR 28.3K

81.25%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$7.09 PKR 1,969

219.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$11.40 PKR 3,165

222.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$12.46 PKR 3,458

363.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$6.02 PKR 1,670

251.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$3.62 PKR 1,006

199.17%

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

$727 €637

$29.27 PKR 8,128

2382.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$1,105 PKR 306.7K

1233.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$15.31 PKR 4,250

471.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$21.94 PKR 6,091

70.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$68.7 PKR 19.1K

50.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$28.93 PKR 8,033

309.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

2010.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

2215.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$168 PKR 46.7K

1531.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$108 PKR 29.9K

1750.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$974 PKR 270.5K

668.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$484 PKR 134.2K

976.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Skardu: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $73.9 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $87.0 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 514% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $377 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $566 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $73.9 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $29.27 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 $377 in Skardu versus $2,316 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 514% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.