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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 194% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Bintulu is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$3.89 MYR 15.88

381.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$18.53 MYR 75.6

274.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$5.78 MYR 23.57

138.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 MYR 12.09

4.73%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$0.64 MYR 2.62

342.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.37 MYR 1.53

408.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.93 MYR 11.94

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$5.13 MYR 20.93

-11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-41.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.37 MYR 5.61

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.32 MYR 5.39

33.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.18 MYR 8.90

135.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$16.92 MYR 69.0

5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$3.46 MYR 14.12

178.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$5.93 MYR 24.20

239.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.67 MYR 6.82

94.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.01 MYR 4.11

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.67 MYR 6.82

55.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.16 MYR 4.75

137.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.52 MYR 2.10

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.20 MYR 4.89

76.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.76 MYR 3.09

103.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.44 MYR 1.81

115.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$4.20 MYR 17.13

74.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-58.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.93 MYR 7.87

44.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.20 MYR 4.88

159.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$16.15 MYR 65.9

60.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.00 MYR 4.07

227.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.89 MYR 3.64

66.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$2.40 MYR 9.77

1327.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.59 MYR 2.40

193.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-19.20%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

-21.37%

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

$187 €163

$59.7 MYR 244

213.37%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$31.36 MYR 128

-51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$31.26 MYR 128

20.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$68.8 MYR 281

-18.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$12.31 MYR 50.2

38.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$4.47 MYR 18.22

155.26%

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

$997 €867

$129 MYR 528

670.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

121.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$66.1 MYR 270

40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$35.14 MYR 143

17.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$79.7 MYR 325

39.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$91.7 MYR 374

36.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$219 MYR 892

681.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$155 MYR 632

730.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$487 MYR 1,988

426.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$338 MYR 1,378

474.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$1,724 MYR 7,035

343.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,139 MYR 4,646

353.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$603 MYR 2,458

289.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.5

-29.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $219 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 290% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $232 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 194% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $843 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 290% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $129 in Bintulu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $2,476 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 194% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.