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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $999 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,432 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,865 in Selangor.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 132% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.55 MYR 10.42

592.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$23.88 MYR 97.7

191.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$3.73 MYR 15.26

279.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.30 MYR 9.40

21.74%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.77 MYR 3.17

264.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.36 MYR 1.48

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.22 MYR 17.27

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.38 MYR 22.00

-12.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.81 MYR 7.39

-32.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.01 MYR 4.15

100.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.50 MYR 6.12

32.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.88 MYR 7.70

85.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.38 MYR 58.8

27.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.68 MYR 19.14

110.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.88 MYR 40.41

93.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.00 MYR 12.27

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.56 MYR 6.40

52.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.45 MYR 5.94

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.28 MYR 5.22

53.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.01 MYR 4.11

77.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.13 MYR 4.63

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 MYR 2.10

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.33 MYR 17.71

64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$19.24 MYR 78.7

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$3.35 MYR 13.68

-58.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$4.26 MYR 17.41

-43.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.68 MYR 2.80

342.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$11.85 MYR 48.46

147.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.16 MYR 4.75

275.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.10 MYR 4.51

93.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$4.35 MYR 17.77

580.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.50 MYR 2.05

264.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$40.5K MYR 165.5K

-6.34%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$30.8K MYR 125.9K

5.19%

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

$189 €166

$64.9 MYR 265

191.35%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$9.99 MYR 40.88

123.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$25.88 MYR 106

43.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$38.38 MYR 157

51.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$7.27 MYR 29.74

184.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.17 MYR 21.13

110.25%

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

$706 €618

$116 MYR 476

507.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,342 MYR 17.8K

242.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$60.9 MYR 249

46.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$36.78 MYR 150

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.9 MYR 306

38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$78.8 MYR 322

51.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$449 MYR 1,838

251.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$351 MYR 1,437

252.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$834 MYR 3,413

225.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$472 MYR 1,930

332.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,583 MYR 6,473

375.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$707 MYR 2,891

641.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,047 MYR 4,284

125.70%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Selangor: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $449 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 126% 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 $24.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 132% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $999 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $449 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $116 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Selangor versus $2,320 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 132% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.