Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cheras Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cheras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $839 in Cheras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,272 in Cheras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,704 in Cheras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 179% more expensive than Cheras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cheras is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.62 MYR 14.30

386.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$18.67 MYR 73.8

267.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.58 MYR 18.07

200.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.88 MYR 11.39

-4.17%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.84 MYR 3.30

230.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.46 MYR 1.81

345.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$4.66 MYR 18.41

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$6.48 MYR 25.60

-29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.89 MYR 7.48

-32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.94 MYR 3.71

124.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.23 MYR 4.87

60.16%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.15 MYR 8.51

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$15.54 MYR 61.4

21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.58 MYR 14.16

163.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.54 MYR 29.79

152.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.65 MYR 10.46

2.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.74 MYR 6.88

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.56 MYR 10.12

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.25 MYR 4.94

120.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.53 MYR 6.06

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.33 MYR 5.26

34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.88 MYR 3.48

71.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.56 MYR 2.23

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.22 MYR 16.66

60.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$14.51 MYR 57.3

-47.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.72 MYR 10.76

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.95 MYR 15.58

-38.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.46 MYR 1.81

558.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.83 MYR 46.73

139.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.02 MYR 4.01

334.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.00 MYR 3.95

105.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$9.42 MYR 37.22

211.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.46 MYR 1.84

310.87%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$49.6K MYR 195.7K

-21.82%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$31.6K MYR 124.8K

2.42%

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

$189 €161

$40.52 MYR 160

365.42%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.18 MYR 36.27

141.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$30.41 MYR 120

21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$41.09 MYR 162

41.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$5.87 MYR 23.19

257.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.08 MYR 20.06

117.52%

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

$726 €622

$187 MYR 738

288.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,933 MYR 27.4K

119.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$66.0 MYR 261

33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$34.18 MYR 135

8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$74.2 MYR 293

38.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$48.12 MYR 190

147.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$377 MYR 1,489

304.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$231 MYR 913

426.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$651 MYR 2,571

329.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$429 MYR 1,693

372.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,233 MYR 4,871

94.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.07

-16.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cheras: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $377 in Cheras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 95% 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 Cheras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $237 per month, with Cheras 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 Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cheras differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $839 including rent). Cheras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 95% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $377 in Cheras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $187 in Cheras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Cheras versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cheras but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cheras 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 Cheras 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 Cheras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.