Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,500 in Male versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Male costs roughly 40% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 9% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$18.39 €15.81

-66.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

$69.2 €59.5

-44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

$14.13 €12.15

-29.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

$3.13 €2.69

13.42%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

$3.02 €2.59

-47.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$1.96 €1.69

-84.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.25 €1.07

67.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$2.16 €1.86

-22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$1.69 €1.45

-25.44%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$4.93 €4.24

-62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$17.88 €15.37

-41.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$9.61 €8.26

-35.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$19.34 €16.63

-51.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$3.24 €2.78

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$2.18 €1.87

43.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$2.67 €2.30

53.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$2.77 €2.38

-3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$2.21 €1.90

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$2.19 €1.88

-15.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.52 €1.31

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$0.92 €0.79

-32.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$7.12 €6.12

108.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$3.15 €2.71

-79.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$26.99 €23.21

12.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$3.25 €2.79

-40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.50 €1.29

32.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$34.89 €30.00

-71.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.75 €1.50

-44.57%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$36.7K €31.5K

-13.46%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$30.9K €26.6K

-6.80%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$188 €161

-36.31%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

$15.44 €13.27

98.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$37.80 €32.49

88.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$57.2 €49.16

22.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$16.80 €14.44

98.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$11.58 €9.95

-17.53%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$1,003 €862

-81.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$17.0K €14.6K

-82.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$89.2 €76.7

-55.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$40.87 €35.14

19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$110 €94.5

-20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$123 €105

-57.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$1,673 €1,438

-43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$1,331 €1,145

-47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$2,596 €2,232

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$1,950 €1,676

-20.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

$7,573 €6,511

-70.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$5,370 €4,617

-74.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$2,402 €2,065

-66.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

343.04%

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

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 195% 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: $39.00 in Male vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $332 per month, with Male 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

Male vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Male and Barcelona differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,500 vs $2,495 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $952 in Male versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Male versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,500 in Male versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Male 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, Male and Barcelona 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.