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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $828 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,304 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,781 in George Town.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.13 MYR 12.71

445.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$21.31 MYR 86.4

224.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.14 MYR 16.80

232.85%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.58 MYR 10.46

6.98%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.77 MYR 3.14

262.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.33 MYR 1.36

503.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$4.26 MYR 17.26

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.79 MYR 19.42

-1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.85 MYR 7.50

-30.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.12 MYR 4.54

83.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.69 MYR 6.85

17.75%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.05 MYR 8.32

65.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$17.52 MYR 71.0

7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.95 MYR 20.07

89.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.66 MYR 43.24

79.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.82 MYR 11.44

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.43 MYR 5.82

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.19 MYR 8.87

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.26 MYR 5.12

126.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.89 MYR 3.59

121.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.21 MYR 4.91

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.69 MYR 2.78

110.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.55 MYR 2.25

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.02 MYR 16.28

68.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$12.54 MYR 50.9

-37.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.63 MYR 10.68

-47.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.38 MYR 13.72

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.49 MYR 1.97

495.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$11.56 MYR 46.89

148.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.16 MYR 4.72

284.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.44 MYR 1.78

365.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.61 MYR 26.80

347.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.47 MYR 1.89

287.23%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.2K MYR 134.6K

17.02%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$24.7K MYR 100.2K

33.92%

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

$189 €163

$38.53 MYR 156

391.12%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.93 MYR 40.25

129.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$29.52 MYR 120

27.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$38.84 MYR 157

48.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$3.66 MYR 14.85

466.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.06 MYR 16.45

166.50%

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

$728 €628

$150 MYR 607

386.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,580 MYR 18.6K

222.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$50.8 MYR 206

74.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$29.05 MYR 118

26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$60.5 MYR 245

68.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$52.4 MYR 213

121.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$370 MYR 1,501

323.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$259 MYR 1,051

370.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$712 MYR 2,887

292.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$498 MYR 2,018

296.95%

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

$1,085 MYR 4,400

115.94%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for George Town: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $370 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 $319 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $828 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $370 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $150 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $828 in George Town versus $2,337 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 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.