Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mellieha Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mellieha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,932 in Mellieha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,808 in Mellieha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,685 in Mellieha.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 23% more expensive than Mellieha, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Mellieha 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$20.33 €17.51

-13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.7 €60.0

-1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.59 €9.98

21.31%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.64 €2.28

5.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.67 €2.30

4.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.27 €3.67

4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.50 €3.02

31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.33 €1.14

-6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.36 €1.17

49.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.54 €3.05

-45.76%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.80 €3.27

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.02 €8.63

83.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.27 €8.85

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.71 €11.81

39.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.46 €2.98

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.06 €1.77

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.89 €2.49

-26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.18 €2.74

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.81 €1.56

12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.93 €2.52

-36.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.70 €1.46

-13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.14 €0.98

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.34 €5.46

12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.18 €5.32

27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.34 €2.02

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.76 €1.51

31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.94 €2.53

1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$7.96 €6.86

-42.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.90 €1.64

8.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$34.17 €29.42

-14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.52 €1.30

21.05%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.4K €22.7K

47.85%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$41.1K €35.4K

-20.36%

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

$188 €162

$110 €94.8

70.64%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$30.27 €26.07

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$32.80 €28.25

11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$63.1 €54.3

-9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$22.95 €19.76

-9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.70 €7.49

28.62%

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

$721 €621

$260 €224

177.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,117 €7,851

65.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$75.3 €64.8

14.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$38.60 €33.24

-3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$95.2 €82.0

7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$102 €88.2

13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,038 €894

47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$940 €809

29.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,749 €1,506

54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,408 €1,213

42.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,070 €3,504

77.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,935 €2,527

76.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,407 €1,211

67.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.43

-37.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mellieha: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,038 in Mellieha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 68% 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 $70.0 in Mellieha. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $295, with Mellieha 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 Mellieha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mellieha differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,932 including rent). Mellieha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 68% 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 $1,038 in Mellieha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $260 in Mellieha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mellieha – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,932 in Mellieha versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mellieha but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mellieha 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 Mellieha 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 Mellieha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.