Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sandakan, Sabah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sandakan, Sabah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $970 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,438 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,907 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than in Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.79 MYR 15.42

386.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$20.12 MYR 81.8

244.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.90 MYR 19.91

186.73%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.99 MYR 12.18

4.01%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.80 MYR 3.25

270.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.42 MYR 1.73

364.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.69 MYR 15.00

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.47 MYR 18.18

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-29.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.05 MYR 4.27

100.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.52 MYR 6.18

20.39%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.89 MYR 7.68

173.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.56 MYR 55.2

29.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$4.33 MYR 17.61

119.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$9.96 MYR 40.53

100.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.27 MYR 13.28

-3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.77 MYR 7.20

24.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.43 MYR 9.88

7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.62 MYR 6.59

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.33 MYR 5.41

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.19 MYR 4.86

77.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.20 MYR 4.90

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.57 MYR 2.33

54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.51 MYR 18.36

58.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$19.18 MYR 78.0

-56.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.03 MYR 12.31

-50.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.74 MYR 15.22

-26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.77 MYR 3.13

307.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$12.63 MYR 51.4

107.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.26 MYR 5.13

155.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.48 MYR 1.94

214.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.47 MYR 30.37

372.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.73 MYR 2.97

139.73%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$43.0K MYR 175.0K

-14.78%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

-9.70%

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

$187 €161

$49.67 MYR 202

276.73%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$9.87 MYR 40.13

52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$28.51 MYR 116

31.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$41.59 MYR 169

33.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$6.59 MYR 26.80

154.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$4.92 MYR 20.00

138.01%

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

$1,011 €871

$176 MYR 715

475.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,019 MYR 20.4K

240.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$61.3 MYR 250

48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$34.64 MYR 141

18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$80.9 MYR 329

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$69.9 MYR 284

80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$423 MYR 1,720

302.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$336 MYR 1,366

286.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$709 MYR 2,886

264.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$497 MYR 2,023

287.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,034 MYR 8,274

280.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,142 MYR 4,644

371.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,246 MYR 5,068

90.54%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $423 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 91% 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 $20.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $259 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sandakan, Sabah differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $970 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $423 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $176 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.