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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $845 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,324 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,803 in Kedah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 177% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kedah is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$2.97 MYR 11.73

487.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$20.99 MYR 82.9

232.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$4.25 MYR 16.81

227.29%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.88 MYR 11.37

-4.86%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$0.69 MYR 2.71

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.36 MYR 1.43

463.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.28 MYR 16.91

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$4.39 MYR 17.34

5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.84 MYR 7.26

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$0.90 MYR 3.56

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.16 MYR 4.59

71.55%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.13 MYR 8.42

61.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$14.94 MYR 59.0

24.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$5.16 MYR 20.37

82.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$14.74 MYR 58.2

26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$2.87 MYR 11.34

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.21 MYR 4.77

97.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-18.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.09 MYR 8.24

34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.18 MYR 4.65

72.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.22 MYR 4.80

53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.95 MYR 3.75

52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.48 MYR 1.91

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.19 MYR 16.57

62.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$19.49 MYR 77.0

-60.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.65 MYR 10.47

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$3.52 MYR 13.89

-33.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.72 MYR 2.85

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$11.89 MYR 46.98

144.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.68 MYR 2.69

551.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.47 MYR 1.84

355.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$6.95 MYR 27.47

316.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$0.50 MYR 1.97

280.00%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$33.2K MYR 131.3K

13.99%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

19.21%

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

$186 €158

$38.58 MYR 152

381.21%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$10.25 MYR 40.50

116.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$11.73 MYR 46.35

211.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$36.97 MYR 146

57.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$5.79 MYR 22.85

258.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$2.87 MYR 11.33

286.76%

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

$705 €601

$243 MYR 958

190.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,217 MYR 24.6K

144.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$53.9 MYR 213

60.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$29.08 MYR 115

26.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$61.0 MYR 241

70.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$53.0 MYR 209

117.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$387 MYR 1,528

297.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$268 MYR 1,061

362.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$638 MYR 2,519

327.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$470 MYR 1,857

327.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,647 MYR 6,507

334.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,008 MYR 3,983

380.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,358 MYR 5,364

82.19%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Kedah: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $387 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 82% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $21 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $273 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 177% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $845 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 82% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $387 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $243 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $845 in Kedah versus $2,336 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 177% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.