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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $838 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,292 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,747 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 182% more expensive than in Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$2.40 MYR 9.82

614.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$18.83 MYR 77.0

261.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$4.63 MYR 18.91

194.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.59 MYR 10.57

7.34%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.68 MYR 2.78

314.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.23 MYR 0.94

752.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.40 MYR 9.80

84.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.45 MYR 14.10

33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.20 MYR 4.89

77.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.14 MYR 4.68

74.56%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.76 MYR 11.26

22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$15.33 MYR 62.6

23.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.43 MYR 14.01

177.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$7.16 MYR 29.24

161.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.56 MYR 10.46

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.18 MYR 4.83

99.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$3.23 MYR 13.21

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.98 MYR 8.09

37.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.19 MYR 4.86

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.34 MYR 5.46

35.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.12 MYR 4.57

34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.47 MYR 1.92

89.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$4.16 MYR 17.02

62.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$17.39 MYR 71.1

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.91 MYR 7.82

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.68 MYR 6.86

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.68 MYR 2.78

327.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$12.00 MYR 49.04

138.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.15 MYR 4.71

298.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.03 MYR 4.23

98.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$6.04 MYR 24.69

375.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.50 MYR 2.05

264.00%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$29.9K MYR 122.1K

31.57%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$28.1K MYR 114.7K

15.69%

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

$187 €163

$46.63 MYR 191

300.24%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$3.50 MYR 14.29

536.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$23.79 MYR 97.2

52.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$36.28 MYR 148

58.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$6.00 MYR 24.53

245.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$2.87 MYR 11.75

275.26%

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

$725 €632

$94.8 MYR 388

664.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,390 MYR 17.9K

245.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$59.3 MYR 242

48.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$22.95 MYR 93.8

60.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$71.8 MYR 293

44.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$95.8 MYR 392

23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$391 MYR 1,598

289.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$267 MYR 1,092

358.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$652 MYR 2,664

318.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$479 MYR 1,958

314.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$1,998 MYR 8,166

273.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$995 MYR 4,065

427.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,215 MYR 4,965

96.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $391 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 97% 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 $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $236 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $838 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $391 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $94.8 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $838 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,359 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 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.