Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mdina Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mdina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,017 in Mdina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,028 in Mdina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,039 in Mdina.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 15% more expensive than in Mdina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Mdina 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$21.17 €18.54

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$94.2 €82.5

-26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.46 €10.04

23.56%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.04 €2.66

-7.89%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.11 €2.72

-9.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.26 €1.98

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.69 €4.10

-1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.59 €4.02

2.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.40 €1.23

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 €1.08

63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.40 €3.86

-55.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.72 €4.14

-26.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.42 €9.13

75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$9.61 €8.42

2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$14.14 €12.38

35.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.45 €3.90

-38.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.16 €2.76

-24.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.32 €2.91

-37.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.68 €3.22

-25.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.58 €2.26

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.35 €1.18

32.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.41 €2.12

-38.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.24 €1.08

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.35 €5.56

12.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.18 €7.17

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.93 €1.69

-28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.24 €1.96

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.70 €2.37

11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.66 €4.96

-22.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.13 €3.62

-48.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$49.29 €43.17

-39.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.51 €1.32

20.53%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$38.5K €33.7K

-1.56%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.8K €33.1K

-14.44%

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

$189 €166

$91.9 €80.4

105.80%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.86 €25.28

-22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$46.04 €40.32

-19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$64.8 €56.7

-10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.33 €20.43

-11.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.60 €9.29

2.55%

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

$706 €618

$434 €380

62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.9K €9,538

36.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$92.7 €81.2

-3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$38.66 €33.86

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$104 €91.0

0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$101 €88.4

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,124 €984

40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$930 €814

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,005 €1,756

35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,509 €1,322

35.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,447 €3,894

69.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,410 €2,111

117.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,542 €1,351

53.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mdina: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,124 in Mdina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 53% 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 $94.0 in Mdina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $323 per month, with Barcelona 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 Mdina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mdina differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,017 including rent). Mdina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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 $1,124 in Mdina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $434 in Mdina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mdina – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,017 in Mdina versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mdina but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mdina 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 Mdina 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 Mdina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.