Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Msida versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,745 in Msida versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,676 in Msida versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Msida costs roughly 27% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Msida 33% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 €10.08

$18.74 €16.32

-38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 €45.53

$69.5 €60.5

-24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 €9.92

$13.77 €11.99

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.04

$3.10 €2.70

-24.19%

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

$2.38 €2.07

$2.83 €2.47

-15.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.00

$1.88 €1.64

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.04

$3.98 €3.47

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.04

$4.53 €3.95

-22.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.27 €1.11

-8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.16 €1.88

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 €3.93

$1.76 €1.53

156.25%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.47

$5.13 €4.47

-44.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.63

$17.88 €15.58

-51.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 €9.40

$9.65 €8.41

11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 €16.75

$20.15 €17.55

-4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 €3.70

$3.25 €2.83

30.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.23 €1.94

30.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.30

$2.60 €2.27

45.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.01

$2.76 €2.40

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$2.21 €1.93

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.12 €1.85

-4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.55 €1.35

50.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$0.95 €0.83

46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.13

$7.34 €6.40

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 €7.30

$8.05 €7.01

4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.54 €1.35

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.11

$2.79 €2.43

-13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.11 €2.71

-24.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.99

$3.27 €2.85

75.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.48 €1.29

54.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 €23.85

$34.27 €29.86

-20.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.73 €1.51

-12.72%

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

$38.3K €33.4K

$36.4K €31.7K

5.42%

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

$39.5K €34.4K

$30.5K €26.6K

29.35%

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

$84.6 €73.7

$187 €163

-54.77%

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

$26.48 €23.07

$15.14 €13.19

74.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €25.35

$37.69 €32.83

-22.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 €50.6

$55.9 €48.73

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.09

$11.41 €9.94

-8.59%

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

$379 €330

$997 €868

-61.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$16.5K €14.4K

-29.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €77.3

$92.6 €80.7

-4.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 €35.78

$41.22 €35.91

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.5

$111 €96.9

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 €71.7

$125 €109

-34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €941

$1,707 €1,487

-36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €821

$1,286 €1,120

-26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 €1,595

$2,565 €2,235

-28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 €1,322

$1,942 €1,692

-21.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,867 €2,498

$2,348 €2,046

22.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

3.16

-8.23%

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

Last update for Msida: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,081 in Msida and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msida pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Msida vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $336 per month, with Msida 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

Msida vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msida and Barcelona differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,815 vs $2,476 including rent). Msida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Msida, 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: $1,081 in Msida versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $379 in Msida versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Msida – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,815 in Msida versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Msida but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Msida 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, Msida 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 Msida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.