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: $1,524 in Male versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,378 in Male versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,232 in Male versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Male costs roughly 36% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 14% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 MVR 85.0

$17.58 €15.12

-68.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.17 MVR 450

$68.4 €58.9

-57.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 MVR 152

$14.06 €12.09

-29.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MVR 68.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MVR 56.0

Cappuccino

$2.86 MVR 44.15

$2.78 €2.39

2.88%

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

$1.28 MVR 19.76

$2.80 €2.41

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.83

$2.06 €1.78

-87.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MVR 27.55

$1.24 €1.07

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$2.03 €1.74

-23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 MVR 20.89

$1.92 €1.65

-29.69%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.76

$3.31 €2.85

-45.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MVR 128

$18.43 €15.85

-55.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 MVR 97.1

$9.49 €8.16

-33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 MVR 141

$19.16 €16.48

-52.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$2.64 €2.27

56.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 MVR 58.3

$2.45 €2.11

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 MVR 66.8

$2.12 €1.82

104.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.24

$2.85 €2.45

11.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.98

$2.04 €1.75

-26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.91

$1.85 €1.59

-33.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.22

$1.47 €1.26

108.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MVR 7.83

$0.84 €0.73

-39.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.30 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.51 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 MVR 128

$7.14 €6.14

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$2.98 €2.56

-77.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 MVR 444

$29.26 €25.17

-1.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.87

$4.60 €3.95

-57.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.43

$2.07 €1.78

-7.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 MVR 154

$29.18 €25.10

-65.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.17

$1.84 €1.58

-50.00%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-17.35%

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

$34.6K MVR 534.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

5.92%

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

$105 MVR 1,613

$188 €162

-44.32%

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

$41.62 MVR 642

$22.93 €19.73

81.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 MVR 1,182

$36.71 €31.58

108.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 MVR 1,242

$57.4 €49.35

40.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.50 MVR 671

$20.70 €17.80

110.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 MVR 151

$11.19 €9.63

-12.33%

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

$163 MVR 2,521

$721 €620

-77.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,626 MVR 55.9K

$15.0K €12.9K

-75.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.36 MVR 700

$86.2 €74.2

-47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 MVR 860

$37.07 €31.89

50.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MVR 1,383

$102 €87.8

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.4 MVR 839

$116 €99.7

-53.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MVR 15.0K

$1,534 €1,319

-36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 MVR 10.8K

$1,220 €1,050

-42.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 MVR 26.2K

$2,696 €2,319

-36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 MVR 22.0K

$2,013 €1,732

-29.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 MVR 35.5K

$7,220 €6,211

-68.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 MVR 29.4K

$5,189 €4,463

-63.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 MVR 13.2K

$2,359 €2,029

-63.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

3.39

265.78%

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

Last update for Male: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Male and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 175% 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: $29.00 in Male vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $318 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,524 vs $2,367 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 175% less. 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: $970 in Male versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Male versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,524 in Male versus $2,367 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 55% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.