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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $868 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,344 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,819 in Kedah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 169% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kedah is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$3.02 MYR 12.25

465.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$21.42 MYR 86.9

223.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$4.28 MYR 17.36

221.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.95 MYR 11.96

-6.44%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$0.74 MYR 3.02

277.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.37 MYR 1.48

437.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$4.40 MYR 17.84

-0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$4.48 MYR 18.19

5.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.81 MYR 7.34

-28.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.91 MYR 3.67

125.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.21 MYR 4.92

64.46%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$2.11 MYR 8.58

60.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$15.33 MYR 62.2

22.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$5.00 MYR 20.27

87.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$14.66 MYR 59.5

30.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$2.88 MYR 11.70

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.19 MYR 4.83

96.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.61 MYR 10.60

-18.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.17 MYR 8.82

31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.19 MYR 4.83

65.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.16 MYR 4.72

55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.97 MYR 3.92

49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.48 MYR 1.95

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.13 MYR 16.76

64.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$19.59 MYR 79.5

-59.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.64 MYR 10.70

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$3.37 MYR 13.67

-29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.68 MYR 2.77

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$11.77 MYR 47.74

143.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.69 MYR 2.82

546.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.47 MYR 1.92

336.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$6.98 MYR 28.34

323.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.49 MYR 2.00

271.43%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$33.5K MYR 135.9K

15.97%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$27.4K MYR 111.0K

20.99%

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

$189 €164

$38.49 MYR 156

391.63%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$9.99 MYR 40.52

128.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$11.96 MYR 48.55

214.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$36.49 MYR 148

58.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$5.85 MYR 23.76

254.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$2.81 MYR 11.41

285.05%

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

$728 €631

$238 MYR 964

206.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

137.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$55.4 MYR 225

60.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$28.32 MYR 115

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$62.0 MYR 252

64.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$52.5 MYR 213

120.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$380 MYR 1,541

313.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$270 MYR 1,094

351.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$646 MYR 2,622

332.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$465 MYR 1,886

325.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$1,964 MYR 7,968

294.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$957 MYR 3,882

441.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$1,322 MYR 5,363

77.30%

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 Kedah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $380 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 77% 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 Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 169% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $868 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 77% 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 $380 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $238 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 $868 in Kedah versus $2,337 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 169% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.