Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Malatya Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Malatya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $971 in Malatya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,484 in Malatya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,998 in Malatya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 141% more expensive than Malatya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Malatya is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.53 ₺159

398.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$25.22 ₺1,139

172.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.21 ₺280

121.42%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.14 ₺96.8

28.97%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.00 ₺45.18

178.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.36 ₺16.31

469.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.08 ₺139

49.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.51 ₺158

30.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.09 ₺49.25

17.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.44 ₺19.90

379.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.05 ₺92.7

-3.90%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.66 ₺120

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$11.35 ₺512

65.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.92 ₺222

92.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$20.66 ₺933

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.17 ₺52.8

132.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.01 ₺90.8

17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.07 ₺48.22

94.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.20 ₺54.2

130.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.81 ₺36.78

143.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.74 ₺33.61

141.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.66 ₺29.88

128.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.38 ₺17.19

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.19 ₺98.9

208.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$11.01 ₺497

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.55 ₺115

-43.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.47 ₺157

-30.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.67 ₺30.15

352.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$31.07 ₺1,402

-8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.05 ₺47.61

321.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.61 ₺27.32

236.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$7.49 ₺338

291.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.08 ₺48.63

75.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$40.8K ₺1.8M

-5.10%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$45.2K ₺2.0M

-28.43%

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

$189 €161

$61.5 ₺2,776

206.65%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.00 ₺406

146.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$8.73 ₺394

321.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$42.83 ₺1,933

35.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$2.58 ₺117

328.29%

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

$726 €622

$602 ₺27.2K

20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,797 ₺397.1K

73.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$18.68 ₺843

372.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$24.91 ₺1,124

48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$74.9 ₺3,380

36.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$51.3 ₺2,313

132.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$520 ₺23.5K

193.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$392 ₺17.7K

210.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$889 ₺40.1K

214.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$713 ₺32.2K

184.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$985 ₺44.4K

144.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-92.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Malatya: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $520 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 144% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $236 per month, with Malatya 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 Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Malatya differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $971 including rent). Malatya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 144% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $520 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $602 in Malatya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Malatya versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malatya but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Malatya 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 Malatya 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 Malatya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.