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: $1,501 in Male versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Male costs roughly 35% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 12% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$17.66 €15.46

-69.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$69.7 €61.0

-58.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$14.16 €12.40

-32.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$2.80 €2.45

5.71%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$2.81 €2.46

-52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$2.06 €1.81

-86.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.23 €1.08

51.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$2.03 €1.78

-20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$1.98 €1.73

-33.84%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$3.49 €3.05

-48.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$18.33 €16.05

-54.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$9.83 €8.61

-35.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$19.13 €16.75

-52.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$2.73 €2.39

46.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$2.38 €2.09

57.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$2.08 €1.82

103.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.75 €2.41

18.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.96 €1.72

-20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$1.79 €1.57

-32.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$1.48 €1.29

108.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$0.91 €0.80

-41.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$7.13 €6.25

14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$3.01 €2.64

-79.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$29.35 €25.71

-0.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$4.36 €3.82

-55.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$2.13 €1.86

-9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$29.60 €25.93

-66.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.82 €1.60

-47.25%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$37.9K €33.2K

-15.80%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$32.4K €28.4K

7.31%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$189 €166

-44.70%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$22.29 €19.52

85.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$37.16 €32.55

103.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$58.0 €50.8

41.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$20.66 €18.09

113.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$10.87 €9.52

-12.79%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$706 €618

-76.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

-76.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$89.4 €78.3

-49.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$36.60 €32.06

53.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$104 €91.1

-12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$119 €105

-55.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$1,579 €1,383

-38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$1,238 €1,084

-43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$2,712 €2,375

-38.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$2,039 €1,786

-29.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$7,527 €6,592

-69.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$5,239 €4,588

-64.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$2,364 €2,070

-63.37%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 173% 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 $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $320 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 ($1,501 vs $2,320 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 173% 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: $972 in Male versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Male versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,501 in Male versus $2,320 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.