Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $437 in Skardu versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $661 in Skardu versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $885 in Skardu versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Skardu is 68% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 PKR 660

$18.39 €15.83

-87.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.05 PKR 3,341

$69.2 €59.5

-82.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 PKR 1,319

$14.13 €12.16

-66.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PKR 778

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 PKR 1,403

Cappuccino

$1.44 PKR 399

$3.13 €2.70

-53.99%

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

$0.39 PKR 107

$3.02 €2.59

-87.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 64.6

$1.96 €1.69

-88.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 242

$1.25 €1.07

-30.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$2.16 €1.86

-72.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 PKR 320

$1.69 €1.45

-31.95%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 340

$4.93 €4.24

-75.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 PKR 1,745

$17.88 €15.39

-64.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 PKR 701

$9.61 €8.27

-73.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 PKR 1,439

$19.34 €16.64

-73.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 PKR 309

$3.24 €2.78

-65.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 PKR 163

$2.18 €1.87

-72.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 PKR 205

$2.67 €2.30

-72.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 PKR 128

$2.77 €2.39

-83.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 86.8

$2.21 €1.90

-85.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 90.5

$2.19 €1.88

-84.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 90.4

$1.52 €1.31

-78.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.92 €0.79

-58.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 492

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PKR 283

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PKR 765

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 PKR 530

$7.12 €6.13

-73.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.91

$3.15 €2.71

-94.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.63 PKR 2,393

$26.99 €23.23

-68.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 PKR 328

$3.25 €2.80

-63.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 PKR 213

$1.50 €1.29

-48.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 PKR 470

$34.89 €30.03

-95.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PKR 313

$1.75 €1.50

-35.43%

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

$19.3K PKR 5.4M

$36.7K €31.5K

-47.30%

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

$22.2K PKR 6.1M

$30.9K €26.6K

-28.34%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$188 €161

-45.16%

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

$3.60 PKR 998

$15.44 €13.29

-76.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.74 PKR 3,810

$37.80 €32.52

-63.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.51 PKR 4,023

$57.2 €49.21

-74.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 PKR 1,089

$11.58 €9.96

-66.06%

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

$46.28 PKR 12.8K

$1,003 €863

-95.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$951 PKR 263.8K

$17.0K €14.6K

-94.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.70 PKR 3,798

$89.2 €76.8

-84.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.12 PKR 5,302

$40.87 €35.17

-53.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 PKR 22.9K

$110 €94.6

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.62 PKR 7,935

$123 €106

-76.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.1K

$1,673 €1,440

-92.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.6 PKR 18.5K

$1,331 €1,146

-95.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 PKR 70.1K

$2,596 €2,234

-90.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 PKR 44.9K

$1,950 €1,678

-91.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$901 PKR 249.8K

$7,573 €6,517

-88.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$469 PKR 129.9K

$5,370 €4,621

-91.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

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 Skardu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Skardu and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Skardu vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $93.0 vs $332 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

Skardu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skardu and Barcelona differ by about 471% in total monthly costs ($437 vs $2,495 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $656 in Skardu and $3,743 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: $127 in Skardu versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $46.28 in Skardu 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 256% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Skardu versus $2,495 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, Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 471% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.