Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Sliema and in Barcelona: $2,396 and $2,399 a month, rent and utilities included.

116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliema and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sliema and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,396 in Sliema versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Sliema $2,396
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,794 in Sliema versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Sliema $3,794
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Sliema versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Sliema $5,191
Barcelona $4,421

Monthly costs are close between Sliema and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 77% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.63

$17.94 €15.96

10.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €76.2

$68.1 €60.5

25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.77

$13.28 €11.81

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.47

$3.25 €2.89

-14.77%

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

$3.02 €2.69

$3.01 €2.67

0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.87 €1.66

15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.09

$3.85 €3.42

19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$4.48 €3.98

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.29 €1.15

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.04 €1.81

-32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$1.72 €1.53

146.51%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.82

$4.77 €4.24

-9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 €7.35

$16.77 €14.92

-50.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$8.93 €7.94

14.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 €16.20

$19.88 €17.68

-8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$2.98 €2.65

42.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$2.03 €1.80

38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$2.73 €2.43

28.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.95

$2.68 €2.38

23.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.10 €1.87

15.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.08 €1.85

-1.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.45 €1.29

61.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.89 €0.79

46.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €6.08

$6.94 €6.17

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.19

$7.78 €6.92

3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.45 €1.29

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.57 €2.29

-6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.99 €2.66

-27.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

$25.20 €22.41

428.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.02

$3.12 €2.77

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.44 €1.28

52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 €24.10

$33.50 €29.80

-19.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.79 €1.59

-13.97%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$34.6K €30.8K

9.50%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$30.1K €26.7K

31.73%

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

$103 €91.9

$178 €158

-41.89%

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

$25.61 €22.78

$13.32 €11.85

92.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.84 €38.10

$34.88 €31.03

22.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 €68.0

$53.3 €47.37

43.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 €14.11

$16.01 €14.24

-0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 €9.08

$11.06 €9.84

-7.78%

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

$366 €326

$957 €851

-61.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,912

$16.6K €14.7K

-32.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.0

$88.2 €78.4

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.84 €36.33

$39.49 €35.12

3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.0

$103 €91.5

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 €68.2

$121 €108

-36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 €1,579

$1,653 €1,470

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,085

$1,302 €1,158

-6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,913 €2,591

$2,557 €2,275

13.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 €2,122

$1,915 €1,703

24.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,353 €4,762

$7,286 €6,481

-26.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,578 €3,183

$5,080 €4,519

-29.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,815 €1,614

$2,281 €2,029

-20.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

3.28

-11.59%

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

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 6.7% $82

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$326 13.6%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 2% $6.4

Eating Out

Sliema

$286 11.9%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 5.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$172 7.2%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 31.6% $54

Getting Around

Sliema

$158 6.6%

Barcelona

$47 2% 70% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$137 5.7%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 15.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$97 4%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 22.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Sliema and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $86.0 in Sliema vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sliema Barcelona 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sliema
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Sliema vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $1,775 in Sliema versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $366 in Sliema versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sliema – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Sliema 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sliema wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.