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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $829 in Cheras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,293 in Cheras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,757 in Cheras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 182% more expensive than Cheras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cheras is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.48 MYR 14.13

390.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$18.77 MYR 76.1

268.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.59 MYR 18.63

200.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.03 MYR 12.27

-8.91%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.79 MYR 3.19

253.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.45 MYR 1.84

342.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$4.78 MYR 19.38

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$6.64 MYR 26.94

-28.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 MYR 7.28

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.93 MYR 3.77

120.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.26 MYR 5.10

57.94%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.06 MYR 8.37

64.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$15.44 MYR 62.6

21.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.58 MYR 14.50

161.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.46 MYR 30.26

156.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.76 MYR 11.18

-2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.76 MYR 7.14

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.45 MYR 9.92

-13.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.26 MYR 5.09

126.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.52 MYR 6.16

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.34 MYR 5.43

34.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.93 MYR 3.79

55.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.56 MYR 2.28

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.26 MYR 17.26

59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.50 MYR 58.8

-45.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.83 MYR 11.48

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.78 MYR 15.33

-37.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.48 MYR 1.96

508.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$11.95 MYR 48.44

140.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.98 MYR 3.95

355.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.02 MYR 4.14

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$9.49 MYR 38.47

211.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.49 MYR 1.99

271.43%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$49.4K MYR 200.2K

-21.34%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$31.7K MYR 128.6K

4.33%

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

$189 €163

$41.77 MYR 169

353.03%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.30 MYR 37.72

145.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$30.42 MYR 123

23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$40.98 MYR 166

40.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$5.73 MYR 23.23

261.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.09 MYR 20.62

112.57%

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

$728 €628

$190 MYR 769

284.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,818 MYR 27.6K

116.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$64.7 MYR 262

37.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$34.30 MYR 139

7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.9 MYR 300

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$48.61 MYR 197

138.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$372 MYR 1,507

322.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$237 MYR 961

413.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$656 MYR 2,661

325.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$420 MYR 1,703

370.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,175 MYR 4,765

99.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cheras: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $372 in Cheras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 99% 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 $319 vs $236 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $829 including rent). Cheras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 99% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $372 in Cheras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $190 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 $829 in Cheras versus $2,337 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 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.