Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,477 in Sliema versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,930 in Sliema versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,384 in Sliema versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Sliema costs roughly 1% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sliema 80% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.22

$18.39 €15.86

8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €77.2

$69.2 €59.7

29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €11.98

$14.13 €12.19

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.38

$3.13 €2.70

-11.82%

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

$3.22 €2.78

$3.02 €2.60

6.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.96 €1.69

17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.01

$4.00 €3.45

16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.56

$4.76 €4.11

11.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.25 €1.08

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.16 €1.87

-37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 €3.91

$1.69 €1.45

168.64%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.76

$4.93 €4.25

-11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.54

$17.88 €15.42

-51.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 €9.44

$9.61 €8.29

13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 €16.19

$19.34 €16.68

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 €3.77

$3.24 €2.79

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 €2.49

$2.18 €1.88

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.67 €2.30

41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$2.77 €2.39

24.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$2.21 €1.91

14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.19 €1.89

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.52 €1.31

55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.92 €0.79

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 €6.17

$7.12 €6.14

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.40

$8.14 €7.02

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.50 €1.29

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.78 €2.40

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.15 €2.72

-27.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 €121

$26.99 €23.28

417.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.06

$3.25 €2.80

80.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.50 €1.29

58.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €23.71

$34.89 €30.10

-21.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.75 €1.51

-13.14%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$36.7K €31.6K

7.70%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$30.9K €26.7K

28.94%

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

$108 €92.9

$188 €162

-42.59%

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

$26.58 €22.93

$15.44 €13.32

72.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.33 €38.24

$37.80 €32.60

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 €66.5

$57.2 €49.32

34.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 €14.28

$16.80 €14.49

-1.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €8.99

$11.58 €9.99

-9.93%

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

$374 €322

$1,003 €865

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,841

$17.0K €14.7K

-32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.7

$89.2 €77.0

0.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €36.83

$40.87 €35.25

4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.0

$110 €94.9

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 €70.7

$123 €106

-33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,538

$1,673 €1,443

6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,110

$1,331 €1,148

-3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 €2,661

$2,596 €2,239

18.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 €2,122

$1,950 €1,682

26.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,642 €4,866

$7,573 €6,532

-25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 €3,217

$5,370 €4,632

-30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,902 €1,640

$2,402 €2,072

-20.82%

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 Sliema: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Sliema and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 26% 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: $90.0 in Sliema vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $332 per month, with Barcelona 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

Sliema vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliema and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,477 vs $2,495 including rent). Sliema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $1,783 in Sliema versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Sliema versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

Expats usually find Sliema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.