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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $955 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,409 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Kedah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 160% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Kedah is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.44 MYR 13.98

435.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$12.37 MYR 50.3

460.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.92 MYR 20.00

185.57%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.79 MYR 11.37

11.47%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.97 MYR 3.94

205.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.33 MYR 1.34

490.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.47 MYR 10.03

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.34 MYR 17.67

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.45 MYR 9.97

-46.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.31 MYR 5.34

61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.70 MYR 6.92

7.65%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.59 MYR 10.53

99.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$15.46 MYR 62.9

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.16 MYR 20.98

84.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.82 MYR 39.94

102.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.38 MYR 9.68

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.53 MYR 6.22

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.24 MYR 9.12

16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.21 MYR 4.92

135.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.94 MYR 3.84

130.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.81 MYR 3.28

160.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.77 MYR 3.13

110.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.69 MYR 2.79

27.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.48 MYR 18.22

60.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$21.57 MYR 87.8

-61.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.49 MYR 10.14

-39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.61 MYR 14.68

-23.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.72 MYR 2.92

336.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$12.16 MYR 49.48

115.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.26 MYR 5.12

155.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.51 MYR 2.09

196.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$6.74 MYR 27.41

423.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.64 MYR 2.61

173.44%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$42.4K MYR 172.6K

-13.60%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$28.1K MYR 114.5K

12.56%

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

$187 €161

$50.1 MYR 204

273.34%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$8.22 MYR 33.46

83.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$31.52 MYR 128

19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$41.66 MYR 169

33.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$6.61 MYR 26.88

153.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$4.67 MYR 18.99

150.75%

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

$1,011 €871

$175 MYR 711

478.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,909 MYR 20.0K

247.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$55.1 MYR 224

65.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$35.44 MYR 144

15.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$74.4 MYR 303

48.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$70.5 MYR 287

78.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$423 MYR 1,720

303.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$333 MYR 1,355

289.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$697 MYR 2,835

271.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$492 MYR 2,002

292.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,052 MYR 8,347

276.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,131 MYR 4,601

376.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,313 MYR 5,343

80.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.43

-28.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $423 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $271 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $955 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $423 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $175 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $955 in Kedah versus $2,482 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 160% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.