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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,027 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,483 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,938 in Selangor.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 141% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.22 MYR 17.23

344.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$19.63 MYR 80.2

253.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.00 MYR 16.34

244.25%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.19 MYR 8.96

41.55%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.87 MYR 3.55

225.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.46 MYR 1.89

308.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.50 MYR 18.39

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.10 MYR 20.80

-11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.10 MYR 4.50

96.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.51 MYR 6.15

16.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.91 MYR 7.78

168.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$15.50 MYR 63.3

15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.82 MYR 19.70

100.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.82 MYR 40.10

105.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.84 MYR 7.51

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.44 MYR 9.96

6.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.58 MYR 6.47

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.36 MYR 5.57

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.09 MYR 4.44

94.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 MYR 4.65

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.54 MYR 2.20

75.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.34 MYR 17.72

69.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$19.04 MYR 77.7

-57.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.38 MYR 13.80

-54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-44.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.25 MYR 5.10

148.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$12.26 MYR 50.1

110.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.25 MYR 5.10

161.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.26 MYR 5.14

17.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$4.51 MYR 18.39

659.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.66 MYR 2.70

162.12%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$42.4K MYR 173.1K

-14.25%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$35.0K MYR 142.9K

-12.75%

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

$187 €163

$65.2 MYR 266

187.02%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.10 MYR 37.15

66.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.81 MYR 105

46.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$40.42 MYR 165

38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$7.22 MYR 29.49

136.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.30 MYR 21.64

115.28%

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

$997 €869

$124 MYR 505

705.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,373 MYR 30.1K

124.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$73.2 MYR 299

26.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$42.30 MYR 173

-2.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$77.8 MYR 317

43.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$81.6 MYR 333

53.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$504 MYR 2,059

238.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$346 MYR 1,414

271.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$881 MYR 3,597

191.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$485 MYR 1,979

300.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,559 MYR 6,364

390.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$712 MYR 2,906

625.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,045 MYR 4,266

124.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.96

-20.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Selangor: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $504 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 125% 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 $20.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $272 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 141% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,027 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $504 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $124 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,027 in Selangor versus $2,476 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 141% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.