Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $457 in Karachi versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Karachi versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $999 in Karachi versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Karachi costs roughly 82% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karachi is 67% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 PKR 611

$18.39 €15.86

-88.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.33 PKR 3,973

$69.2 €59.7

-79.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 PKR 1,462

$14.13 €12.19

-62.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 593

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,039

Cappuccino

$2.20 PKR 610

$3.13 €2.70

-29.71%

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

$0.33 PKR 92.3

$3.02 €2.60

-89.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.3

$1.96 €1.69

-88.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 248

$1.25 €1.08

-28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 145

$2.16 €1.87

-75.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 345

$1.69 €1.45

-26.63%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 335

$4.93 €4.25

-75.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 PKR 1,715

$17.88 €15.42

-65.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 PKR 841

$9.61 €8.29

-68.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.11 PKR 1,695

$19.34 €16.68

-68.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 339

$3.24 €2.79

-62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$2.18 €1.88

-74.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 PKR 272

$2.67 €2.30

-63.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 164

$2.77 €2.39

-78.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$2.21 €1.91

-84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.2

$2.19 €1.89

-85.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 PKR 109

$1.52 €1.31

-74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 121

$0.92 €0.79

-53.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 PKR 687

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 496

$7.12 €6.14

-74.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.5

$3.15 €2.72

-91.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 PKR 2,273

$26.99 €23.28

-69.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 PKR 205

$3.25 €2.80

-77.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$1.50 €1.29

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 PKR 609

$34.89 €30.10

-93.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 369

$1.75 €1.51

-24.00%

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

$18.0K PKR 5.0M

$36.7K €31.6K

-50.76%

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

$27.6K PKR 7.6M

$30.9K €26.7K

-10.88%

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

$104 PKR 28.8K

$188 €162

-44.69%

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

$5.88 PKR 1,629

$15.44 €13.32

-61.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.86 PKR 3,564

$37.80 €32.60

-65.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.32 PKR 5,632

$57.2 €49.32

-64.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 PKR 5,173

$16.80 €14.49

11.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 PKR 1,221

$11.58 €9.99

-62.00%

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

$50.4 PKR 14.0K

$1,003 €865

-94.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,375 PKR 381.1K

$17.0K €14.7K

-91.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.81 PKR 4,106

$89.2 €77.0

-83.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.90 PKR 6,070

$40.87 €35.25

-46.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 PKR 18.1K

$110 €94.9

-40.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.81 PKR 9,925

$123 €106

-70.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 PKR 30.8K

$1,673 €1,443

-93.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.9 PKR 19.6K

$1,331 €1,148

-94.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 PKR 82.2K

$2,596 €2,239

-88.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 PKR 49.9K

$1,950 €1,682

-90.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$976 PKR 270.6K

$7,573 €6,532

-87.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$467 PKR 129.5K

$5,370 €4,632

-91.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

$2,402 €2,072

-92.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.88

3.16

307.59%

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

Last update for Karachi: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $111 in Karachi and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1221% 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: $14.00 in Karachi vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $332 per month, with Karachi 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

Karachi vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Barcelona differ by about 446% in total monthly costs ($457 vs $2,495 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1221% 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: $111 in Karachi versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $50.4 in Karachi versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 229% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $457 in Karachi versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi 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, Karachi 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 446% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.