Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $888 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,280 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,672 in Sarawak.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 164% more expensive than Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Sarawak is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.59 MYR 14.17

390.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$18.94 MYR 74.8

262.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.22 MYR 20.63

163.41%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.73 MYR 10.78

1.10%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.77 MYR 3.04

261.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.37 MYR 1.45

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$7.84 MYR 30.98

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$8.53 MYR 33.70

-46.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.85 MYR 7.32

-30.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.93 MYR 3.69

126.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.25 MYR 4.95

57.60%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.14 MYR 8.47

60.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$15.25 MYR 60.2

23.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.55 MYR 10.06

270.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.61 MYR 37.95

97.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.90 MYR 11.44

-6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.46 MYR 5.76

62.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.51 MYR 9.90

-17.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.40 MYR 5.51

97.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.22 MYR 4.83

61.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.26 MYR 4.99

42.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.04 MYR 4.12

45.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.67 MYR 2.65

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.34 MYR 17.14

55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$16.87 MYR 66.7

-55.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.86 MYR 11.30

-49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.01 MYR 11.88

-19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.68 MYR 2.70

345.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.95 MYR 47.20

137.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.15 MYR 4.56

285.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.03 MYR 4.06

99.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.72 MYR 22.59

412.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.47 MYR 1.84

302.13%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$34.9K MYR 137.8K

11.08%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$31.6K MYR 124.7K

2.51%

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

$189 €161

$42.69 MYR 169

341.77%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.94 MYR 35.31

148.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$29.27 MYR 116

25.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$36.53 MYR 144

58.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$5.72 MYR 22.58

266.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.01 MYR 19.80

120.56%

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

$726 €622

$187 MYR 741

287.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,906 MYR 27.3K

120.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$36.96 MYR 146

138.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$39.10 MYR 154

-5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.6 MYR 310

30.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$57.2 MYR 226

108.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$329 MYR 1,299

364.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$269 MYR 1,063

352.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$500 MYR 1,976

458.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$351 MYR 1,388

476.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,801 MYR 7,112

293.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$886 MYR 3,498

447.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$438 MYR 1,731

448.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.07

-16.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $329 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 449% 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 $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $241 per month, with Sarawak 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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sarawak differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $888 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 449% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $329 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $187 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Sarawak versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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 Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.