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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Cheras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in Cheras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,030 in Cheras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Cheras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Cheras is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.82 MYR 15.58

390.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$25.02 MYR 102

177.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.90 MYR 19.99

181.02%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.09 MYR 12.63

0.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.88 MYR 3.60

221.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.52 MYR 2.11

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.54 MYR 18.52

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$6.47 MYR 26.41

-29.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.96 MYR 8.01

-35.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.05 MYR 4.28

105.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 MYR 6.11

17.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.77 MYR 7.22

189.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$18.37 MYR 75.0

-2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.49 MYR 18.32

114.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.59 MYR 43.25

90.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.42 MYR 13.97

-4.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.95 MYR 7.94

14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.76 MYR 11.26

-5.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.62 MYR 6.60

70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.19 MYR 8.96

0.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.72 MYR 7.03

23.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.34 MYR 5.49

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.55 MYR 2.26

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.32 MYR 17.65

69.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$14.14 MYR 57.7

-43.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.79 MYR 11.39

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.01 MYR 12.30

-7.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.73 MYR 2.98

326.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$12.17 MYR 49.70

112.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.27 MYR 5.19

157.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 MYR 1.47

311.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.54 MYR 38.93

259.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.79 MYR 3.22

118.99%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

-13.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.3K MYR 139.8K

-10.83%

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

$187 €163

$49.68 MYR 203

276.57%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$11.03 MYR 45.02

37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$28.11 MYR 115

34.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$52.9 MYR 216

5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$6.35 MYR 25.93

168.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.89 MYR 19.97

133.33%

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

$997 €869

$162 MYR 661

515.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,441 MYR 18.1K

272.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$65.0 MYR 265

42.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.35 MYR 124

35.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$81.5 MYR 333

36.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$86.3 MYR 352

44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$413 MYR 1,687

313.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$466 MYR 1,904

175.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$689 MYR 2,814

272.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$486 MYR 1,984

299.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,286 MYR 9,332

234.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,083 MYR 4,423

376.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,210 MYR 4,940

94.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.06

-22.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cheras: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $413 in Cheras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 94% 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 $25.00 in Cheras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $271 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,143 including rent). Cheras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% 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 $413 in Cheras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $162 in Cheras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,143 in Cheras versus $2,476 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.