Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sliema Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sliema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,477 in Sliema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,930 in Sliema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $5,384 in Sliema.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1% more expensive than in Sliema, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Sliema 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$19.96 €17.22

-7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$89.6 €77.2

-22.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$13.89 €11.98

1.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.76 €2.38

13.41%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$3.22 €2.78

-6.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.30 €1.98

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$4.65 €4.01

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$5.29 €4.56

-10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.43 €1.23

-12.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.36 €1.17

58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.54 €3.91

-62.78%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$4.36 €3.76

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$8.74 €7.54

104.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$10.95 €9.44

-12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$18.77 €16.19

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$4.37 €3.77

-25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.88 €2.49

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.78 €3.26

-29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.44 €2.97

-19.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.52 €2.17

-12.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.13 €1.84

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.36 €2.04

-35.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.36 €1.17

-32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$7.15 €6.17

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$8.58 €7.40

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.83 €1.58

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.42 €2.09

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$2.29 €1.97

37.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$140 €121

-80.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$5.87 €5.06

-44.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.37 €2.05

-36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$27.49 €23.71

26.92%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

-7.15%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$39.9K €34.4K

-22.44%

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

$188 €162

$108 €92.9

74.18%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$26.58 €22.93

-41.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$44.33 €38.24

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$77.2 €66.5

-25.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$16.55 €14.28

1.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$10.43 €8.99

11.03%

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

$1,003 €865

$374 €322

168.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$11.4K €9,841

49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$90.1 €77.7

-0.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$42.70 €36.83

-4.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$102 €88.0

7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$81.9 €70.7

49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$1,783 €1,538

-6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$1,287 €1,110

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$3,086 €2,661

-15.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$2,460 €2,122

-20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$5,642 €4,866

34.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$3,730 €3,217

43.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$1,902 €1,640

26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.9

8.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sliema: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,783 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 26% 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 $90.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $341 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sliema differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,477 including rent). Sliema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,783 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $374 in Sliema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Sliema is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Sliema 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 Sliema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.