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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $820 in Miri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,253 in Miri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,686 in Miri.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 202% more expensive than in Miri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Miri is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.59 MYR 14.66

422.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$12.47 MYR 50.9

457.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.65 MYR 18.99

196.13%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.38 MYR 9.73

30.25%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.85 MYR 3.46

232.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.28 MYR 1.13

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.98 MYR 12.16

33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.86 MYR 15.75

17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.43 MYR 5.83

-11.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.89 MYR 7.73

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.01 MYR 4.14

74.26%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.55 MYR 14.48

44.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.82 MYR 19.69

100.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.88 MYR 60.7

35.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.96 MYR 7.99

13.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.36 MYR 1.45

163.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.47 MYR 18.26

64.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$19.69 MYR 80.4

-59.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.04 MYR 12.40

-49.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.32 MYR 9.49

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.50 MYR 2.05

522.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$14.52 MYR 59.3

78.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.19 MYR 4.87

174.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.60 MYR 2.44

146.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$6.17 MYR 25.18

455.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.60 MYR 2.44

188.33%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-27.51%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.6K MYR 137.0K

-8.98%

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

$187 €163

$50.2 MYR 205

272.52%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.62 MYR 39.26

57.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$32.89 MYR 134

14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$29.83 MYR 122

87.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$6.09 MYR 24.87

180.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.53 MYR 18.50

151.88%

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

$997 €869

$102 MYR 415

880.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,506 MYR 26.6K

154.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$44.24 MYR 181

109.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$22.85 MYR 93.3

80.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$56.7 MYR 231

96.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$42.85 MYR 175

191.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$340 MYR 1,388

402.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$286 MYR 1,168

349.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$596 MYR 2,431

330.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$581 MYR 2,370

234.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,224 MYR 4,999

524.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$672 MYR 2,744

668.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$689 MYR 2,811

241.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.12

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Miri: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $340 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 241% 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 $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $195 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 202% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $820 including rent). Miri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 241% 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 $340 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $102 in Miri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $820 in Miri versus $2,476 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 202% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.