Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kuala Terengganu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kuala Terengganu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $696 in Kuala Terengganu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Kuala Terengganu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,588 in Kuala Terengganu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 233% more expensive than in Kuala Terengganu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kuala Terengganu is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.41 MYR 9.87

632.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$22.12 MYR 90.5

214.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.58 MYR 18.72

209.17%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.92 MYR 11.96

-4.11%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.48 MYR 1.96

485.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 MYR 1.11

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.60 MYR 14.71

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.00 MYR 20.45

-6.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.55 MYR 6.33

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.96 MYR 3.91

111.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.31 MYR 5.35

51.15%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.12 MYR 8.67

64.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$15.02 MYR 61.4

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.43 MYR 18.12

121.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.49 MYR 38.80

101.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.50 MYR 6.15

58.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.52 MYR 10.31

-17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.42 MYR 5.82

93.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.18 MYR 4.82

66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.27 MYR 5.20

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.03 MYR 4.22

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 MYR 2.15

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.31 MYR 17.61

65.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$18.63 MYR 76.2

-57.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.83 MYR 11.59

-51.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.02 MYR 12.34

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.74 MYR 3.02

306.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$11.55 MYR 47.23

154.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.15 MYR 4.72

279.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.98 MYR 4.02

117.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$5.96 MYR 24.38

396.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.49 MYR 2.02

271.43%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

8.68%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$31.3K MYR 128.1K

3.37%

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

$189 €166

$43.18 MYR 177

337.77%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.96 MYR 36.63

148.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$29.00 MYR 119

28.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.41 MYR 153

55.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$5.73 MYR 23.45

260.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.85 MYR 19.82

124.12%

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

$706 €618

$187 MYR 763

278.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,827 MYR 27.9K

117.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$61.3 MYR 251

45.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$27.14 MYR 111

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$73.5 MYR 301

41.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$50.8 MYR 208

135.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$200 MYR 820

687.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$116 MYR 474

968.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$648 MYR 2,651

318.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$273 MYR 1,116

647.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,050 MYR 8,383

267.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,138 MYR 4,653

360.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$490 MYR 2,003

382.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.07

-16.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $200 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 383% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $249 per month, with Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kuala Terengganu differ by about 233% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $696 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 383% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $200 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $187 in Kuala Terengganu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.