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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $897 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,368 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,838 in Labuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 164% more expensive than Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Labuan is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.15 MYR 20.43

241.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$23.23 MYR 92.1

194.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.52 MYR 25.85

115.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.83 MYR 15.18

-27.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.06 MYR 4.22

164.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.43 MYR 1.70

379.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.61 MYR 14.30

23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.99 MYR 19.77

-7.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.66 MYR 6.59

-25.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.01 MYR 3.99

100.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.25 MYR 4.95

53.60%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.06 MYR 8.16

60.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$14.75 MYR 58.5

24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.23 MYR 16.79

124.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.67 MYR 38.33

98.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.85 MYR 11.30

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.52 MYR 6.04

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.62 MYR 10.38

-19.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.37 MYR 5.45

108.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.24 MYR 4.93

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.32 MYR 5.25

40.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.03 MYR 4.10

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 MYR 2.23

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.34 MYR 17.22

64.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$18.93 MYR 75.1

-58.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.81 MYR 11.15

-50.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.92 MYR 11.57

-20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.69 MYR 2.75

331.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$11.90 MYR 47.20

145.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.15 MYR 4.54

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.04 MYR 4.10

99.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$5.95 MYR 23.60

390.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.50 MYR 1.97

268.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.8K MYR 138.1K

12.03%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$31.9K MYR 126.3K

2.62%

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

$188 €162

$43.79 MYR 174

328.91%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.31 MYR 36.93

146.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$28.94 MYR 115

26.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$37.15 MYR 147

54.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$5.80 MYR 22.99

256.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.97 MYR 19.69

125.15%

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

$721 €620

$190 MYR 753

279.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,898 MYR 27.4K

118.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.9 MYR 245

39.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$27.83 MYR 110

33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.2 MYR 290

39.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$50.8 MYR 201

128.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$386 MYR 1,529

297.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$265 MYR 1,053

359.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$656 MYR 2,600

311.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$468 MYR 1,854

330.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,705 MYR 6,761

323.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$891 MYR 3,532

482.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$382 MYR 1,514

518.05%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Labuan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $386 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 518% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $250 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 164% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $897 including rent). Labuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 518% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $386 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $190 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $897 in Labuan versus $2,367 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 164% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.