Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Mardan versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $767 in Mardan versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Mardan versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Mardan costs roughly 80% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mardan is 63% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 PKR 994

$18.74 €16.33

-80.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.00 PKR 6,371

$69.5 €60.6

-66.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$13.77 €12.00

-59.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$2.62 PKR 725

$3.10 €2.70

-15.48%

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

$0.36 PKR 98.5

$2.83 €2.47

-87.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 64.0

$1.88 €1.64

-87.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 252

$1.27 €1.11

-28.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 PKR 220

$2.16 €1.88

-63.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 357

$1.76 €1.53

-26.70%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 336

$5.13 €4.47

-76.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.97 PKR 823

$17.88 €15.59

-83.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 864

$9.65 €8.41

-67.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.74 PKR 1,035

$20.15 €17.56

-81.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 PKR 260

$3.25 €2.84

-71.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 PKR 205

$2.23 €1.94

-66.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 295

$2.60 €2.27

-59.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 103

$2.76 €2.40

-86.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 78.3

$2.21 €1.93

-87.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 98.2

$2.12 €1.85

-83.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$1.55 €1.35

-81.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.95 €0.83

-61.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 PKR 493

$7.34 €6.40

-75.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.23

$3.11 €2.71

-94.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,970

$25.86 €22.54

-58.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 PKR 359

$3.27 €2.85

-60.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 205

$1.48 €1.29

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 PKR 460

$34.27 €29.88

-95.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PKR 283

$1.73 €1.51

-41.04%

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

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

$36.4K €31.7K

-41.03%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

$30.5K €26.6K

-21.38%

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

$104 PKR 28.9K

$187 €163

-44.32%

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

$5.69 PKR 1,575

$15.14 €13.20

-62.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.72 PKR 4,353

$37.69 €32.85

-58.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.73 PKR 4,079

$55.9 €48.76

-73.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 PKR 1,203

$11.41 €9.95

-61.96%

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

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

$997 €869

-92.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

$16.5K €14.4K

-93.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.74 PKR 6,852

$92.6 €80.8

-73.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.30 PKR 9,501

$41.22 €35.93

-16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

$111 €96.9

-11.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

$125 €109

-67.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.4K

$1,707 €1,488

-92.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

$1,286 €1,121

-93.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.4K

$2,565 €2,236

-90.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 PKR 41.7K

$1,942 €1,693

-92.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$994 PKR 275.4K

$7,647 €6,666

-87.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$591 PKR 163.8K

$5,167 €4,504

-88.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

3.16

313.92%

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

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $128 in Mardan and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Mardan vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $85.0 vs $336 per month, with Mardan 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

Mardan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan and Barcelona differ by about 395% in total monthly costs ($500 vs $2,476 including rent). Mardan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $750 in Mardan and $3,714 in Barcelona 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: $128 in Mardan versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $75.2 in Mardan versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 295% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mardan versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan 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, Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 395% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.