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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,524 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,378 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,232 in Male.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Male 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.51 MVR 85.0

219.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$29.17 MVR 450

134.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.86 MVR 152

42.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MVR 68.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MVR 56.0

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.86 MVR 44.15

-2.80%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.28 MVR 19.76

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.25 MVR 3.83

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.79 MVR 27.55

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.55 MVR 23.96

30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.35 MVR 20.89

42.22%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.80 MVR 27.76

83.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.27 MVR 128

122.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.30 MVR 97.1

50.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$9.12 MVR 141

110.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.14 MVR 63.8

-36.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.78 MVR 58.3

-35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$4.33 MVR 66.8

-51.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.19 MVR 49.24

-10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.49 MVR 22.98

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.23 MVR 18.91

50.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$3.06 MVR 47.22

-51.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 MVR 7.83

64.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.30 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.51 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$8.33 MVR 128

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.66 MVR 10.18

351.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$28.81 MVR 444

1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.94 MVR 29.87

137.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.91 MVR 29.43

8.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$9.96 MVR 154

192.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.92 MVR 14.17

100.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.2K MVR 497.2K

20.99%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.6K MVR 534.0K

-5.59%

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

$188 €162

$105 MVR 1,613

79.59%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$41.62 MVR 642

-44.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$76.6 MVR 1,182

-52.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$80.6 MVR 1,242

-28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$43.50 MVR 671

-52.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.81 MVR 151

14.07%

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

$721 €621

$163 MVR 2,521

340.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,626 MVR 55.9K

314.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.36 MVR 700

90.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$55.8 MVR 860

-33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$89.7 MVR 1,383

13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$54.4 MVR 839

113.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$970 MVR 15.0K

58.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$700 MVR 10.8K

74.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,701 MVR 26.2K

58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,427 MVR 22.0K

41.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,300 MVR 35.5K

213.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,905 MVR 29.4K

172.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$857 MVR 13.2K

175.26%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Male: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $970 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 175% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $232 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 ($2,367 vs $1,524 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 175% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $970 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $163 in Male. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,524 in Male versus $2,367 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.