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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,016 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 81% above, Labuan is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$5.49 MYR 22.41

241.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$25.04 MYR 102

177.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$6.84 MYR 27.92

101.32%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-22.31%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$1.07 MYR 4.37

164.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.42 MYR 1.69

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$3.77 MYR 15.37

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.09 MYR 4.45

98.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.43 MYR 5.84

23.08%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.91 MYR 7.78

168.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$16.99 MYR 69.3

5.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$4.54 MYR 18.50

112.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$9.91 MYR 40.43

103.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.11 MYR 12.71

4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.84 MYR 7.49

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.38 MYR 9.71

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.39 MYR 5.66

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.34 MYR 5.48

64.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.22 MYR 4.97

73.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 MYR 4.66

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.53 MYR 2.15

79.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$4.65 MYR 18.98

57.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$21.54 MYR 87.9

-62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.39 MYR 13.81

-17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.84 MYR 3.45

270.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$13.20 MYR 53.9

95.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.41 MYR 5.77

131.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.50 MYR 2.02

196.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$7.83 MYR 31.96

337.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.78 MYR 3.18

121.79%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-16.64%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

-2.27%

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

$187 €163

$50.1 MYR 204

273.26%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$9.61 MYR 39.18

57.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$28.20 MYR 115

33.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$43.96 MYR 179

27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$6.76 MYR 27.58

152.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$4.46 MYR 18.21

155.83%

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

$997 €867

$194 MYR 790

414.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

247.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$60.6 MYR 247

52.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$34.51 MYR 141

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$80.3 MYR 328

38.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$72.1 MYR 294

73.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$452 MYR 1,845

277.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$311 MYR 1,270

313.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$701 MYR 2,858

266.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$521 MYR 2,124

273.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$1,900 MYR 7,751

302.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,043 MYR 4,255

395.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$375 MYR 1,531

525.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.2

-24.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $452 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 526% 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 $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $268 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 ($2,476 vs $976 including rent). Labuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 526% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $194 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Labuan versus $2,476 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.