Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maspalomas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maspalomas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,963 in Maspalomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,691 in Maspalomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,419 in Maspalomas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than in Maspalomas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Maspalomas 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$14.09 €12.15

30.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$74.4 €64.1

-6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$11.19 €9.64

25.56%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.68 €2.31

16.04%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.22 €1.91

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.74 €1.50

12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.24 €2.79

23.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.81 €3.28

21.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.19 €1.02

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.71 €1.47

23.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.69 €1.46

8.28%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.85 €3.32

34.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$12.74 €10.98

37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.11 €7.85

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$18.37 €15.84

8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.60 €2.24

21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.05 €1.76

7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.41 €2.08

8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.76 €1.51

61.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.48 €2.14

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.52 €2.17

-16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.13 €0.97

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.85 €0.73

3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.55 €3.93

57.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.15 €6.16

16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.80 €1.55

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.69 €2.31

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.48 €3.00

-9.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$58.9 €50.8

-55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.55 €3.06

-9.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.38 €2.05

-36.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$28.49 €24.56

23.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.58 €1.36

10.76%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$37.0K €31.9K

-0.82%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$29.9K €25.7K

6.05%

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

$187 €161

$119 €102

57.87%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$17.52 €15.10

-13.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$29.01 €25.01

29.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.06 €7.81

29.25%

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

$1,011 €871

$487 €420

107.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$6,860 €5,914

148.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$86.7 €74.8

5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$22.88 €19.72

79.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$92.6 €79.8

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$82.9 €71.5

52.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,475 €1,271

15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,082 €933

20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,399 €1,206

85.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,172 €1,011

64.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$6,353 €5,476

21.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$5,289 €4,559

1.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,499 €1,292

58.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.15

0.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maspalomas: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,475 in Maspalomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 58% 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 $74.0 in Maspalomas. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $290, with Maspalomas cheaper for home cooking.

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 Maspalomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maspalomas differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,963 including rent). Maspalomas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,475 in Maspalomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $487 in Maspalomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,963 in Maspalomas versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maspalomas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maspalomas 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 Maspalomas 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 Maspalomas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.