Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosta: $2,053 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Mosta, Malta
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Mosta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,053
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Mosta

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 Mosta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,053 in Mosta.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Mosta $2,053

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,060 in Mosta.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Mosta $3,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,067 in Mosta.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Mosta $4,067

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than in Mosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Mosta 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$16.64 €14.91
5.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$88.8 €79.6
-24.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$12.53 €11.23
7.98%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$2.45 €2.19
30.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$2.00 €1.79
45.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.10 €0.99
71.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$2.86 €2.56
40.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$5.15 €4.62
-12.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.36 €1.22
-3.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.47 €1.32
37.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.41 €3.05
-45.75%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$3.31 €2.97
45.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$10.15 €9.09
64.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$12.00 €10.76
-24.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$11.20 €10.04
75.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$3.75 €3.36
-20.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.68 €2.40
-24.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.98 €1.77
36.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$3.69 €3.31
-24.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.64 €1.47
27.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.51 €2.25
-17.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.28 €2.05
-35.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.63 €0.56
49.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$6.27 €5.62
9.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$5.93 €5.31
33.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.26 €1.13
11.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.27 €2.03
11.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.76 €2.48
13.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.79 €3.40
-21.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.81 €1.62
-17.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$28.01 €25.10
19.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.48 €1.33
21.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$27.5K €24.6K
20.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$38.2K €34.3K
-17.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$117 €105
54.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$24.41 €21.88
-43.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$29.77 €26.68
13.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$73.7 €66.1
-30.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$33.60 €30.11
-52.50%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$11.24 €10.07
-2.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$272 €243
237.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$12.4K €11.1K
32.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$57.6 €51.6
51.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$68.5 €61.4
-43.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$114 €102
-7.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$128 €114
-6.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$1,248 €1,118
36.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$1,070 €959
26.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$1,947 €1,745
33.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$1,614 €1,446
27.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Mosta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$1,784 €1,599
23.92%
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 Mosta: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Mosta
$1.1K 21% $285
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Mosta
$290 10% $32
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Mosta
$237 11.5% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Mosta
$171 25.1% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Mosta
$166 4.8% $7.6
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Mosta
$96 30.9% $23
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Mosta
$24 * 50.7% $25

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 $1,248 in Mosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $89 in Mosta. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $290, with Mosta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇲🇹 Mosta
🕒 Local time
04:08 4:08 AM
04:08 4:08 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
20,241
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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 Mosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Mosta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,053 in Mosta, so Mosta is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Mosta?
Average pay runs 24% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Mosta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,248 in Mosta. 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 Mosta?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $272 in Mosta. 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 Mosta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Mosta?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mosta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Mosta?
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.
Is Barcelona or Mosta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mosta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Mosta?
It comes down to priorities – Mosta wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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