Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and George Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $955 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,606 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $2,256 in George Town.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 155% more expensive than in George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, George Town is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$3.38 MYR 13.65

456.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$15.10 MYR 61.0

360.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$4.67 MYR 18.86

201.50%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.64 MYR 10.67

18.18%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.72 MYR 2.92

304.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.35 MYR 1.42

434.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.49 MYR 10.07

60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$4.48 MYR 18.09

3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.90 MYR 7.67

-37.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.04 MYR 4.20

104.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.67 MYR 6.75

10.18%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$2.21 MYR 8.92

132.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$13.19 MYR 53.3

24.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$4.50 MYR 18.16

115.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$8.55 MYR 34.54

129.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.44 MYR 9.88

28.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.45 MYR 5.85

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.25 MYR 9.11

9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.22 MYR 4.91

127.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.88 MYR 3.54

140.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.84 MYR 3.41

165.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.77 MYR 3.09

93.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.55 MYR 2.22

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$4.49 MYR 18.15

61.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$18.91 MYR 76.4

-56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.40 MYR 9.68

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.78 MYR 15.25

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.47 MYR 1.90

553.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$11.27 MYR 45.52

130.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$1.25 MYR 5.05

167.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.51 MYR 2.05

268.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$6.58 MYR 26.60

431.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.75 MYR 3.05

132.00%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$42.3K MYR 171.0K

-13.72%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$28.8K MYR 116.2K

9.53%

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

$183 €156

$37.21 MYR 150

391.40%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$8.15 MYR 32.91

92.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$29.31 MYR 118

25.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$41.06 MYR 166

30.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$4.95 MYR 19.98

246.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$4.74 MYR 19.15

142.83%

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

$952 €815

$169 MYR 683

463.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$5,038 MYR 20.4K

221.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$53.3 MYR 215

54.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$35.35 MYR 143

14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$74.5 MYR 301

44.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$68.8 MYR 278

82.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$505 MYR 2,041

230.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$365 MYR 1,475

252.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$928 MYR 3,749

186.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$1,004 MYR 4,055

89.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$1,091 MYR 4,407

124.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.43

-29.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for George Town: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $505 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 125% 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 $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $240 per month, with George Town 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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and George Town differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $955 including rent). George Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $505 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $169 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $955 in George Town versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes George Town 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 George Town 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.