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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $912 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,297 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,682 in Sarawak.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sarawak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$3.62 MYR 14.72

388.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$18.54 MYR 75.4

277.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$5.42 MYR 22.03

152.03%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.73 MYR 11.10

0.37%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.72 MYR 2.91

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.40 MYR 1.61

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.62 MYR 30.97

-42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$8.12 MYR 33.03

-43.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 MYR 7.26

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.96 MYR 3.91

113.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.31 MYR 5.31

51.15%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.14 MYR 8.70

58.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$15.15 MYR 61.6

23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$2.65 MYR 10.79

260.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$9.41 MYR 38.24

100.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.97 MYR 12.09

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.46 MYR 5.94

69.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.61 MYR 10.62

-19.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.45 MYR 5.90

94.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.17 MYR 4.77

72.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 MYR 5.42

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.04 MYR 4.23

45.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.63 MYR 2.55

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$4.14 MYR 16.85

70.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$21.73 MYR 88.3

-63.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.82 MYR 11.48

-49.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.90 MYR 11.80

-21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.68 MYR 2.78

323.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$11.61 MYR 47.20

144.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$1.20 MYR 4.87

265.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.99 MYR 4.04

116.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$5.72 MYR 23.26

409.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.47 MYR 1.90

295.74%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.9K MYR 146.0K

8.53%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$31.1K MYR 126.4K

5.13%

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

$189 €163

$43.73 MYR 178

332.43%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$9.24 MYR 37.55

145.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$28.78 MYR 117

26.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$36.39 MYR 148

58.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$5.83 MYR 23.71

266.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.89 MYR 19.88

121.06%

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

$726 €625

$189 MYR 770

283.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$6,959 MYR 28.3K

116.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$35.83 MYR 146

144.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$39.07 MYR 159

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$76.2 MYR 310

35.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$56.7 MYR 230

105.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$329 MYR 1,339

377.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$272 MYR 1,107

348.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$516 MYR 2,099

425.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$356 MYR 1,448

452.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,898 MYR 7,714

311.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$932 MYR 3,790

464.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$412 MYR 1,675

476.39%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $329 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 476% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $251 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $912 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 476% 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: $1,573 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 $189 in Sarawak. 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 $912 in Sarawak versus $2,399 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.