Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miri Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $682 in Miri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,091 in Miri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,499 in Miri.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than Miri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Miri is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.22 MYR 12.78

445.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$11.73 MYR 46.49

483.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.02 MYR 15.94

249.75%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.68 MYR 10.61

3.73%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.70 MYR 2.76

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 MYR 1.45

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.89 MYR 11.45

54.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.70 MYR 14.66

24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.35 MYR 5.37

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.45 MYR 5.73

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.80 MYR 3.18

140.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.27 MYR 12.97

1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.01 MYR 43.64

67.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.80 MYR 19.05

97.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$12.04 MYR 47.72

59.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.16 MYR 12.53

-16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.19 MYR 4.73

105.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.26 MYR 8.97

-6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.38 MYR 5.49

106.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.59 MYR 2.35

245.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.90 MYR 3.57

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.91 MYR 3.61

61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.33 MYR 1.33

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.23 MYR 16.77

68.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$20.47 MYR 81.2

-61.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.03 MYR 12.02

-54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.27 MYR 8.98

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.36 MYR 5.41

119.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$8.72 MYR 34.59

235.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.20 MYR 4.77

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.75 MYR 2.97

176.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$5.76 MYR 22.85

406.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.46 MYR 1.83

300.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$57.9K MYR 229.7K

-32.67%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$28.2K MYR 111.8K

15.96%

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

$188 €162

$30.45 MYR 121

516.81%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.34 MYR 37.04

145.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$32.20 MYR 128

14.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$28.52 MYR 113

101.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$5.75 MYR 22.79

260.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.17 MYR 16.53

168.35%

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

$721 €620

$97.6 MYR 387

638.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,240 MYR 20.8K

187.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$35.09 MYR 139

145.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$19.06 MYR 75.6

94.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$44.89 MYR 178

127.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$31.98 MYR 127

262.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$311 MYR 1,231

393.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$165 MYR 656

637.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$494 MYR 1,961

445.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$379 MYR 1,501

431.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,286 MYR 5,100

461.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$697 MYR 2,765

644.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$767 MYR 3,041

207.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.63

-6.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Miri: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $311 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 208% 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 $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $248 per month, with Miri 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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Miri differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $682 including rent). Miri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 208% 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 $311 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $97.6 in Miri. 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 $682 in Miri versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Miri 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 Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.