Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Selangor Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Selangor

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,008 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,449 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,890 in Selangor.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.56 MYR 10.16

586.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$23.14 MYR 91.7

195.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.74 MYR 14.84

275.94%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.23 MYR 8.83

24.66%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.77 MYR 3.06

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.33 MYR 1.32

524.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.19 MYR 16.62

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.33 MYR 21.15

-13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.83 MYR 7.26

-32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.01 MYR 4.00

100.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.45 MYR 5.74

32.41%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.83 MYR 7.24

80.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$14.43 MYR 57.2

27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.66 MYR 18.46

103.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$9.83 MYR 38.98

94.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.87 MYR 11.37

-8.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 MYR 6.52

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.69 MYR 10.65

-21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.51 MYR 5.98

88.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.27 MYR 5.03

60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.99 MYR 3.93

86.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.08 MYR 4.28

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 MYR 2.15

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.32 MYR 17.12

65.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$19.54 MYR 77.5

-59.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.37 MYR 13.35

-59.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.26 MYR 16.88

-45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.74 MYR 2.94

302.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$11.61 MYR 46.04

152.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.21 MYR 4.79

280.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.10 MYR 4.38

88.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$4.38 MYR 17.39

566.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.46 MYR 1.84

300.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.3K MYR 155.8K

-0.72%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$31.9K MYR 126.5K

2.49%

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

$188 €162

$65.4 MYR 259

187.10%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.48 MYR 37.59

141.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$25.69 MYR 102

42.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.55 MYR 153

48.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$7.29 MYR 28.90

183.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.20 MYR 20.62

115.19%

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

$721 €620

$117 MYR 462

518.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,384 MYR 17.4K

243.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.8 MYR 237

44.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$36.96 MYR 147

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.1 MYR 298

35.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$78.9 MYR 313

46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$441 MYR 1,749

247.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$348 MYR 1,379

250.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$849 MYR 3,365

217.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$472 MYR 1,871

326.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,659 MYR 6,577

335.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$726 MYR 2,878

614.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,004 MYR 3,980

135.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.96

-14.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $441 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 135% 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 $23.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $261 per month, with Selangor 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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Selangor differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,008 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 135% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $441 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $117 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.