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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $859 in Cheras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,289 in Cheras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,719 in Cheras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 175% more expensive than in Cheras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cheras is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.47 MYR 14.18

394.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$18.95 MYR 77.4

259.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.67 MYR 19.07

192.08%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-4.79%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.79 MYR 3.21

256.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.45 MYR 1.83

335.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$4.73 MYR 19.30

-6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$6.50 MYR 26.56

-29.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.00 MYR 4.06

113.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.30 MYR 5.29

53.08%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.10 MYR 8.56

60.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$15.64 MYR 63.9

21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.73 MYR 15.22

155.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.73 MYR 31.55

142.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.75 MYR 11.21

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.75 MYR 7.15

34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.57 MYR 10.49

-18.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.26 MYR 5.14

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.46 MYR 5.97

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.40 MYR 5.72

29.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.89 MYR 3.63

69.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.55 MYR 2.26

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.31 MYR 17.59

57.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$13.81 MYR 56.4

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.73 MYR 11.15

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.92 MYR 16.00

-38.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.46 MYR 1.88

532.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$11.99 MYR 48.97

139.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.03 MYR 4.19

344.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.03 MYR 4.20

98.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$9.14 MYR 37.34

214.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.46 MYR 1.90

295.65%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$49.6K MYR 202.6K

-20.76%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$31.7K MYR 129.3K

2.52%

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

$187 €162

$41.39 MYR 169

350.91%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$9.03 MYR 36.88

146.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$30.43 MYR 124

19.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.27 MYR 169

39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$5.94 MYR 24.24

249.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.87 MYR 19.89

121.15%

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

$725 €628

$185 MYR 756

291.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,008 MYR 28.6K

116.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$65.1 MYR 266

34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$34.18 MYR 140

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$71.8 MYR 293

44.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$48.69 MYR 199

143.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$382 MYR 1,561

298.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$231 MYR 945

430.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$655 MYR 2,672

316.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$426 MYR 1,741

365.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,191 MYR 4,865

100.82%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cheras: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $382 in Cheras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 101% 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 $19.00 in Cheras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $238 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 175% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $859 including rent). Cheras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $382 in Cheras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $185 in Cheras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $859 in Cheras versus $2,359 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 175% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.