Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Malatya

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $687 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Malatya, Turkey
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Malatya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$687
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Malatya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $687 in Malatya.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Malatya $687

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,058 in Malatya.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Malatya $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $1,429 in Malatya.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Malatya $1,429

Living in Barcelona is roughly 256% more expensive than in Malatya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Malatya is 49% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.69
$4.74 ₺237
272.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €59.9
$29.59 ₺1,480
128.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.09
$7.27 ₺364
87.21%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.75
$1.56 ₺78.1
98.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$0.93 ₺46.35
222.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$0.32 ₺15.81
503.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.41
$2.21 ₺111
73.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.87
$3.51 ₺176
24.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$0.79 ₺39.47
58.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$0.76 ₺38.20
178.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.68 ₺134
-26.49%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.23
$1.73 ₺86.4
175.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.16
$8.15 ₺408
109.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.96
$2.28 ₺114
292.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.34
$15.99 ₺800
29.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$1.61 ₺80.6
96.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.56 ₺78.2
26.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$0.79 ₺39.36
235.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$0.74 ₺37.04
289.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$0.39 ₺19.69
428.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$0.37 ₺18.62
489.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$0.51 ₺25.72
200.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.48 ₺23.88
102.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.19
$1.94 ₺97.1
259.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.01
$11.94 ₺597
-33.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.84 ₺92.2
-22.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.14 ₺107
25.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.75
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$0.73 ₺36.73
321.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.69 ₺34.50
114.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.20
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.33 ₺66.4
40.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$40.2K ₺2.0M
-17.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$40.5K ₺2.0M
-21.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €162
$30.18 ₺1,510
505.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.65
$10.13 ₺507
40.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.70
$14.05 ₺703
145.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.68
$35.41 ₺1,771
45.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.55
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.83
$5.23 ₺262
111.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €838
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €77.9
$15.02 ₺751
483.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.44
$71.1 ₺3,558
-45.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €92.9
$50.1 ₺2,505
108.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$29.91 ₺1,496
293.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,507
$332 ₺16.6K
411.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,187
$217 ₺10.9K
514.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,391
$466 ₺23.3K
477.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,845
$326 ₺16.3K
537.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,356
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,512
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Malatya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,991
$1,105 ₺55.3K
102.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
43
-92.58%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Malatya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Malatya
$217 83.7% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Malatya
$188 42.5% $139
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Malatya
$102 62% $165
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Malatya
$54 76.5% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Malatya
$75 52.3% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Malatya
$46 37.6% $28
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Malatya
$4.2 * 91.5% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $332 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $30 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $188 per month, with Malatya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇹🇷 Malatya
🕒 Local time
23:08 11:08 PM
01:08 1:08 AM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
781,305
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Malatya 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Malatya

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
Barcelona vs Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Malatya?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $687 in Malatya, so Malatya is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Malatya?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Malatya?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $332 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Malatya – a meal for two runs $30 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Barcelona or Malatya?
All in, you’ll spend $2,443 per month in Barcelona versus $687 in Malatya – Malatya is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $687 in Malatya versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Malatya?
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.
Is Barcelona or Malatya safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Malatya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Malatya?
It comes down to priorities – Malatya wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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