Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Labuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Labuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $913 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,403 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,893 in Labuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Labuan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.41 MYR 22.13

226.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$23.81 MYR 97.4

192.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.55 MYR 26.77

116.18%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.72 MYR 15.21

-24.73%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.06 MYR 4.35

165.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.39 MYR 1.60

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.51 MYR 14.35

31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.98 MYR 20.39

-5.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.67 MYR 6.84

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.01 MYR 4.13

100.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.28 MYR 5.24

54.69%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.11 MYR 8.64

65.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.92 MYR 61.0

22.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.42 MYR 18.08

122.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.66 MYR 39.51

98.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.00 MYR 12.25

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.53 MYR 6.25

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.59 MYR 10.61

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.38 MYR 5.64

99.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.20 MYR 4.90

63.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.28 MYR 5.23

39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.03 MYR 4.23

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 MYR 2.11

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.29 MYR 17.53

66.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$16.63 MYR 68.0

-52.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.85 MYR 11.68

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.00 MYR 12.28

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.70 MYR 2.85

330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$11.76 MYR 48.10

149.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.15 MYR 4.72

279.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.04 MYR 4.25

104.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.05 MYR 24.76

389.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.46 MYR 1.88

295.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

8.69%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$31.9K MYR 130.5K

1.46%

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

$189 €166

$44.09 MYR 180

328.74%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.95 MYR 36.59

149.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$28.98 MYR 119

28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$36.71 MYR 150

58.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$5.80 MYR 23.70

256.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.91 MYR 20.09

121.38%

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

$706 €618

$191 MYR 782

269.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,796 MYR 27.8K

118.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$59.8 MYR 245

49.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$27.52 MYR 113

32.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$72.8 MYR 298

42.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$51.6 MYR 211

131.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$381 MYR 1,558

314.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$272 MYR 1,113

355.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$641 MYR 2,622

323.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$469 MYR 1,916

335.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,970 MYR 8,058

282.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,287 MYR 5,265

306.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$371 MYR 1,516

537.67%

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 Labuan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $381 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 538% 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 $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $248 per month, with Labuan 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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Labuan differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $913 including rent). Labuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 538% 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 $381 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $191 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Labuan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan 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 Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.