Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $857 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,327 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,798 in Kedah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Kedah is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.08

$3.14 MYR 12.82

447.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.1

$21.57 MYR 88.2

227.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$4.26 MYR 17.42

229.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.94 MYR 12.02

-5.44%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.74 MYR 3.02

275.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.33 MYR 1.37

521.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$4.38 MYR 17.91

3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$4.32 MYR 17.67

8.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.97 MYR 3.97

120.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.16 MYR 4.75

66.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.04 MYR 8.32

71.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.25

$14.76 MYR 60.4

25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$5.00 MYR 20.44

90.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.58

$14.52 MYR 59.4

30.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.77 MYR 11.31

-5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.21 MYR 4.95

93.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.69 MYR 10.98

-22.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.11 MYR 8.64

35.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.19 MYR 4.88

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.21 MYR 4.94

52.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.97 MYR 3.96

57.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.45 MYR 1.83

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$4.15 MYR 16.96

63.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$19.04 MYR 77.8

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.65 MYR 10.85

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$3.54 MYR 14.46

-34.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.70 MYR 2.86

328.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.11

$11.64 MYR 47.59

145.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$0.73 MYR 3.00

527.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.50 MYR 2.04

326.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.93

$7.08 MYR 28.96

317.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.50 MYR 2.04

260.00%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$33.6K MYR 137.5K

14.34%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$27.8K MYR 113.6K

19.68%

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

$185 €162

$38.56 MYR 158

379.43%

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

$22.68 €19.90

$9.94 MYR 40.63

128.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.27

$11.76 MYR 48.07

212.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$37.42 MYR 153

54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.59

$6.04 MYR 24.68

250.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.50

$2.81 MYR 11.49

285.41%

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

$727 €638

$236 MYR 964

208.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$6,189 MYR 25.3K

138.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$54.0 MYR 221

62.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.78

$28.68 MYR 117

30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.6

$62.3 MYR 255

65.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$53.8 MYR 220

120.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,369

$382 MYR 1,561

308.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$274 MYR 1,118

346.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,406

$650 MYR 2,657

321.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,747

$476 MYR 1,946

318.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,571

$2,045 MYR 8,362

266.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,568

$1,134 MYR 4,635

359.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,066

$1,301 MYR 5,319

80.96%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Kedah: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $382 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 81% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $270 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kedah differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $857 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $382 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $236 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Kedah versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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 Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.