Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $599 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
Learn more

Islamabad Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

Jump to prices

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Islamabad and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $599 in Islamabad versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Islamabad $599
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $930 in Islamabad versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Islamabad $930
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,261 in Islamabad versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Islamabad $1,261
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Islamabad costs roughly 75% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Islamabad is 56% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$17.94 €15.96

-79.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$68.1 €60.5

-65.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$13.28 €11.81

-58.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$3.25 €2.89

-18.77%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$3.01 €2.67

-89.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$1.87 €1.66

-87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$1.29 €1.15

-27.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$2.04 €1.81

-64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.72 €1.53

-24.42%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$4.77 €4.24

-74.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$16.77 €14.92

-63.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$8.93 €7.94

-65.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$19.88 €17.68

-73.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$2.98 €2.65

-57.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$2.03 €1.80

-57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$2.73 €2.43

-61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$2.68 €2.38

-80.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$2.10 €1.87

-86.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$2.08 €1.85

-82.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$1.45 €1.29

-80.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.89 €0.79

-56.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$6.94 €6.17

-67.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$2.99 €2.66

-94.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$25.20 €22.41

-15.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$3.12 €2.77

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$1.44 €1.28

-48.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$33.50 €29.80

-95.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.79 €1.59

-23.46%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$34.6K €30.8K

57.35%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$30.1K €26.7K

-20.66%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$178 €158

-41.94%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$13.32 €11.85

-55.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$34.88 €31.03

-50.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$53.3 €47.37

-47.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$16.01 €14.24

-47.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$11.06 €9.84

-59.95%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$957 €851

-92.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$16.6K €14.7K

-69.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$88.2 €78.4

-70.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$39.49 €35.12

-12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$103 €91.5

-7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$121 €108

-65.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$1,653 €1,470

-83.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$1,302 €1,158

-89.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$2,557 €2,275

-77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$1,915 €1,703

-85.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$7,286 €6,481

-77.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$5,080 €4,519

-83.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$2,281 €2,029

-83.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

3.28

298.78%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 840% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 78.8% $100

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 214% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 78.6% $70

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 240% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 103% $38

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Barcelona

$47 2% 76.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Islamabad and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 500% 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: $23.00 in Islamabad vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $320 per month, with Islamabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

3 h behind Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Barcelona 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Islamabad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islamabad and Barcelona differ by about 300% in total monthly costs ($599 vs $2,399 including rent). Islamabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 500% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Islamabad versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $75.7 in Islamabad versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 214% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $599 in Islamabad versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islamabad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Islamabad 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, Islamabad and Barcelona 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 Islamabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 300% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.