Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mgarr

For one person, living is cheaper in Mgarr: $2,084 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Mgarr, Malta
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Mgarr
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,084
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Mgarr

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Mgarr actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,084 in Mgarr.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Mgarr $2,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,145 in Mgarr.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Mgarr $3,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,206 in Mgarr.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Mgarr $4,206

Living in Barcelona is roughly 18% more expensive than in Mgarr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Mgarr 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$22.25 €19.93
-20.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$88.9 €79.6
-24.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$13.32 €11.93
1.58%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.18 €2.85
0.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$2.30 €2.06
26.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$2.01 €1.80
-5.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$5.49 €4.91
-26.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$6.86 €6.14
-33.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.36 €1.22
-3.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.46 €1.31
38.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.53 €3.16
-47.59%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$4.45 €3.98
8.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$10.31 €9.24
62.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$12.07 €10.81
-24.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$18.42 €16.50
6.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$3.82 €3.42
-21.99%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.67 €2.39
-24.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$3.93 €3.52
-31.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$3.67 €3.29
-23.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.94 €1.74
7.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$3.27 €2.93
-36.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.28 €2.04
-35.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.48 €1.32
-36.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$6.19 €5.55
10.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$5.88 €5.27
34.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.51 €2.25
-43.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.32 €2.08
9.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.43 €2.18
29.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.84 €3.44
-22.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.83 €1.64
-18.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$32.22 €28.86
3.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.54 €1.38
16.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$27.9K €25.0K
18.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$39.5K €35.4K
-19.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$155 €139
16.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$30.62 €27.43
-54.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$29.10 €26.06
15.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$62.7 €56.2
-17.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$11.43 €10.23
-3.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$273 €245
235.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$12.3K €11.0K
34.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$56.4 €50.5
54.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$69.6 €62.3
-44.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$112 €101
-5.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$131 €118
-8.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$1,140 €1,021
49.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$935 €838
44.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$1,778 €1,593
46.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$1,472 €1,319
40.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$3,767 €3,374
83.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$2,935 €2,629
74.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Mgarr
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.05
-19.01%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mgarr: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Mgarr
$935 31% $420
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Mgarr
$344 6.9% $22
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Mgarr
$315 17.4% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Mgarr
$215 5.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Mgarr
$166 5.3% $8.4
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Mgarr
$86 16.4% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Mgarr
$23 * 53.1% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,140 in Mgarr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $89 in Mgarr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $344 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇲🇹 Mgarr
🕒 Local time
12:13 12:13 PM
12:13 12:13 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
3,600
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Mgarr 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Mgarr

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mgarr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Mgarr?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,084 in Mgarr, so Mgarr is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Mgarr?
You’d need roughly $3,679 in Barcelona and $3,125 in Mgarr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Mgarr?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,140 in Mgarr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Mgarr?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $273 in Mgarr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $89 in Mgarr. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mgarr is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Mgarr?
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.

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