Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Pawl Il-bahar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Pawl Il-bahar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,621 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,509 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in San Pawl Il-bahar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, San Pawl Il-bahar 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$20.73 €18.16

-14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$78.1 €68.4

-10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.13 €9.75

27.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.61 €2.28

7.28%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.00 €2.63

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.19 €1.92

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.37 €3.83

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.67 €4.09

0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.36 €1.19

-9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 €1.08

63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.58 €2.26

-23.26%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.72 €3.26

-6.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.75 €8.54

88.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.99 €6.99

23.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.65 €8.45

98.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.19 €2.80

-14.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.11 €1.85

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.95 €2.58

-29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.91 €2.55

-5.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.64 €1.44

19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.35 €1.18

32.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.26 €1.10

17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.25 €1.09

-27.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.43 €5.63

10.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.08 €7.08

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.59 €1.39

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.98 €1.73

20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.84 €2.49

5.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.75 €5.04

-24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.66 €2.33

-19.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$49.36 €43.23

-40.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.52 €1.33

19.74%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$38.3K €33.5K

-1.02%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.8K €33.1K

-14.27%

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

$189 €166

$66.8 €58.5

183.11%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$20.57 €18.02

8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$42.03 €36.81

-11.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$62.4 €54.7

-7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.44 €20.53

-11.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.12 €8.87

7.41%

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

$706 €618

$426 €373

65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.0K €9,623

35.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$69.2 €60.6

29.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$27.98 €24.51

30.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$90.9 €79.6

14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$93.3 €81.7

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$962 €843

64.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$797 €698

55.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,537 €1,346

76.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,336 €1,170

52.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,563 €3,120

111.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,006 €2,633

74.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,735 €1,519

36.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.28

3.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $962 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 36% 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 $78.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $260, with San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and San Pawl Il-bahar differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,734 including rent). San Pawl Il-bahar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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 $962 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $426 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,734 in San Pawl Il-bahar versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Pawl Il-bahar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar 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 San Pawl Il-bahar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.