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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $782 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,692 in Bintulu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 197% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Bintulu is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.84 MYR 15.72

359.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$17.40 MYR 71.2

300.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.62 MYR 23.00

151.96%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.79 MYR 11.41

0.36%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.62 MYR 2.55

353.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.36 MYR 1.49

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.91 MYR 11.91

58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.91 MYR 20.09

-4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.31 MYR 5.36

54.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.25 MYR 5.12

58.40%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.20 MYR 8.99

58.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$16.43 MYR 67.2

11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.46 MYR 14.15

184.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$5.82 MYR 23.82

228.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.68 MYR 6.87

62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.98 MYR 4.01

142.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.66 MYR 6.79

25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.06 MYR 4.34

159.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.49 MYR 1.99

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.16 MYR 4.76

54.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.72 MYR 2.93

105.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.39 MYR 1.61

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.89 MYR 15.92

83.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$19.91 MYR 81.5

-60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.88 MYR 11.76

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.87 MYR 7.63

27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.16 MYR 4.75

159.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$15.91 MYR 65.1

84.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.92 MYR 3.75

373.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.86 MYR 3.53

147.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.37 MYR 9.71

1148.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.52 MYR 2.12

250.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$42.1K MYR 172.4K

-10.10%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.0K MYR 151.1K

-12.38%

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

$189 €166

$57.8 MYR 236

227.21%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$9.04 MYR 36.97

146.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$29.17 MYR 119

27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$64.1 MYR 262

-9.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$5.84 MYR 23.89

253.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.18 MYR 17.08

160.05%

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

$706 €618

$120 MYR 493

486.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,111 MYR 29.1K

109.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$62.3 MYR 255

43.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.04 MYR 139

7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$76.0 MYR 311

36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$88.2 MYR 361

35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$208 MYR 851

658.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$151 MYR 616

722.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$462 MYR 1,890

487.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$313 MYR 1,279

552.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,751 MYR 7,161

329.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,164 MYR 4,762

349.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$609 MYR 2,491

288.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $208 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 288% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $224 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 197% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $782 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 288% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $208 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $120 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 $782 in Bintulu versus $2,320 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 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.