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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,957 in Mellieha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,965 in Mellieha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,973 in Mellieha.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mellieha, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$17.52 €15.10

5.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$67.7 €58.4

2.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.87 €9.37

29.25%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.90 €2.50

7.24%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.45 €2.11

20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.99 €1.71

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$4.13 €3.56

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.06 €6.08

-34.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.42 €1.23

-7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.41 €1.22

49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.69 €3.18

-50.41%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.46 €3.85

15.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.74 €9.26

63.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$10.14 €8.74

-6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$18.87 €16.27

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.95 €3.41

-19.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.88 €2.48

-23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.97 €3.42

-34.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.97 €3.43

-28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.95 €1.68

11.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.42 €2.95

-38.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.69 €1.46

-4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.14 €0.98

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$6.45 €5.56

11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.04 €5.21

37.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.51 €2.17

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.36 €2.03

16.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.92 €2.51

7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.95 €3.41

-18.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.83 €1.57

-17.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$34.10 €29.40

3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.52 €1.31

15.13%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.4K €25.4K

24.60%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$40.6K €35.0K

-22.02%

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

$187 €161

$107 €92.5

74.44%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$31.64 €27.28

-52.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$30.22 €26.05

24.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$65.5 €56.4

-15.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$8.50 €7.32

37.76%

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

$1,011 €871

$286 €247

252.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$12.6K €10.9K

35.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$74.2 €64.0

23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$40.94 €35.29

0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$85.5 €73.7

29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$76.9 €66.3

63.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,187 €1,024

43.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$968 €835

34.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,807 €1,557

43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,565 €1,349

23.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$3,940 €3,396

96.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,907 €2,506

85.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,377 €1,187

72.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.05

-21.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mellieha: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,187 in Mellieha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 72% 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 $68.0 in Mellieha. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $336, with Barcelona 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,957 including rent). Mellieha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% 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 $1,187 in Mellieha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $286 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 $68.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,957 in Mellieha versus $2,482 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.