Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Male Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Male

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,501 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,377 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,253 in Male.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 55% more expensive than in Male, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Male 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.37 MVR 82.8

228.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$29.25 MVR 451

138.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.52 MVR 147

48.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.96 MVR 45.72

-5.41%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.34 MVR 20.62

109.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 MVR 4.20

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.86 MVR 28.72

-33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.62 MVR 24.95

25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.31 MVR 20.23

51.15%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.80 MVR 27.71

93.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.25 MVR 127

122.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.34 MVR 97.8

55.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.04 MVR 139

111.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.76 MVR 58.0

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.24 MVR 65.4

-50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.27 MVR 50.4

-15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.55 MVR 23.89

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.21 MVR 18.73

47.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.09 MVR 47.69

-52.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 MVR 8.18

71.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.14 MVR 126

-12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.62 MVR 9.57

385.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$29.26 MVR 451

0.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.94 MVR 29.91

124.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.93 MVR 29.80

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$9.79 MVR 151

202.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.96 MVR 14.77

89.58%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

18.76%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

-6.81%

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

$189 €166

$105 MVR 1,612

80.84%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$41.36 MVR 638

-46.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$75.8 MVR 1,168

-50.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$81.9 MVR 1,263

-29.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$44.07 MVR 679

-53.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$9.48 MVR 146

14.66%

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

$706 €618

$164 MVR 2,524

331.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

318.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$45.31 MVR 699

97.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$56.0 MVR 864

-34.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$91.2 MVR 1,407

14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$53.3 MVR 823

123.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$972 MVR 15.0K

62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$697 MVR 10.8K

77.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

62.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

41.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

232.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

177.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$866 MVR 13.4K

172.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

12.4

-72.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $972 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 173% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $233 per month, with Male 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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Male differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,501 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $972 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $164 in Male. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,501 in Male versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Male 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 Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.