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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $843 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,306 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,769 in George Town.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 178% more expensive than George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.02 MYR 11.93

483.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$21.35 MYR 84.3

221.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.27 MYR 16.86

222.01%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.62 MYR 10.35

5.34%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.77 MYR 3.03

261.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.36 MYR 1.44

469.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$4.36 MYR 17.20

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.68 MYR 18.49

-1.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.82 MYR 7.21

-29.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.12 MYR 4.43

88.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.67 MYR 6.60

17.96%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.10 MYR 8.31

63.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$17.50 MYR 69.1

7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.97 MYR 19.65

90.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.47 MYR 41.35

81.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.86 MYR 11.30

-4.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.40 MYR 5.53

69.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.25 MYR 8.90

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.28 MYR 5.04

115.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.87 MYR 3.44

126.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.16 MYR 4.57

54.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.70 MYR 2.76

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.52 MYR 2.04

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.18 MYR 16.51

61.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.70 MYR 50.2

-40.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.64 MYR 10.45

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.36 MYR 13.29

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.49 MYR 1.93

518.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.80 MYR 46.62

140.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.16 MYR 4.59

281.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.44 MYR 1.73

365.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.39 MYR 25.26

359.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.49 MYR 1.94

285.71%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$34.1K MYR 134.6K

13.73%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.0K MYR 98.7K

29.49%

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

$189 €161

$38.18 MYR 151

393.95%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.68 MYR 38.23

129.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$28.98 MYR 114

27.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$38.37 MYR 152

51.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$3.78 MYR 14.94

455.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.13 MYR 16.30

167.55%

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

$726 €622

$146 MYR 578

396.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,643 MYR 18.3K

227.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$52.5 MYR 207

68.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$28.61 MYR 113

29.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$62.5 MYR 247

64.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$52.1 MYR 206

128.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$371 MYR 1,465

311.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$253 MYR 999

381.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$709 MYR 2,799

294.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$498 MYR 1,969

306.78%

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

$1,112 MYR 4,393

116.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.16

-18.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for George Town: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $371 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 116% 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 $21.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $251 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 178% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $843 including rent). George Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 116% 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 $371 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $146 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $843 in George Town versus $2,341 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 178% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.