Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $784 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,681 in Bintulu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 202% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Bintulu is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.74 MYR 14.82

370.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$17.52 MYR 69.5

290.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.71 MYR 22.64

146.23%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.91 MYR 11.55

-4.47%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.66 MYR 2.62

324.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.40 MYR 1.57

415.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.75 MYR 10.89

62.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.00 MYR 19.84

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.73 MYR 6.84

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.36 MYR 5.41

49.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.28 MYR 5.06

50.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.19 MYR 8.70

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$16.56 MYR 65.7

11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.34 MYR 13.26

184.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$5.74 MYR 22.75

233.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.69 MYR 6.70

56.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.97 MYR 3.83

152.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.63 MYR 6.48

30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.12 MYR 4.45

154.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.52 MYR 2.07

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.15 MYR 4.56

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.72 MYR 2.85

104.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.39 MYR 1.56

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.95 MYR 15.64

80.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$19.24 MYR 76.3

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.78 MYR 11.01

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.94 MYR 7.70

19.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.15 MYR 4.56

159.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$15.56 MYR 61.7

88.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.97 MYR 3.86

374.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.86 MYR 3.42

140.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.34 MYR 9.29

1147.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.51 MYR 2.02

260.78%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.9K MYR 166.3K

-6.97%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$37.5K MYR 148.8K

-12.86%

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

$188 €162

$57.1 MYR 226

229.10%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.31 MYR 36.93

146.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$29.85 MYR 118

22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$64.7 MYR 256

-11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$5.79 MYR 22.97

257.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.18 MYR 16.57

167.70%

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

$721 €620

$121 MYR 479

497.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,933 MYR 27.5K

116.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.3 MYR 243

40.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$33.41 MYR 132

10.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.1 MYR 309

30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$86.8 MYR 344

33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$209 MYR 830

632.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$153 MYR 606

698.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$465 MYR 1,845

479.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$321 MYR 1,272

527.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,779 MYR 7,054

305.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,201 MYR 4,762

332.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$624 MYR 2,474

278.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.5

-24.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $209 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 278% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $223 per month, with Bintulu 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

Barcelona vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bintulu differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $784 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 278% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $209 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $121 in Bintulu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Bintulu versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu 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, Barcelona and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.