Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sibu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sibu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $821 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,653 in Sibu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 188% more expensive than Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sibu is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.10 MYR 8.43

737.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$8.41 MYR 33.74

713.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.00 MYR 16.03

251.50%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.13 MYR 8.52

30.52%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.60 MYR 2.39

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.23 MYR 0.92

795.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.84 MYR 11.40

57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.95 MYR 19.86

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.39 MYR 5.56

-10.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.33 MYR 5.32

52.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.20 MYR 4.81

60.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.55 MYR 6.22

113.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.94 MYR 59.9

23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.68 MYR 18.77

102.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$5.93 MYR 23.78

223.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.04 MYR 12.20

-13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.21 MYR 4.83

102.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.87 MYR 7.50

13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.48 MYR 13.95

-18.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.25 MYR 5.00

63.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.31 MYR 9.27

-19.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.99 MYR 3.99

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.20 MYR 4.83

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.94 MYR 15.81

81.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$18.02 MYR 72.3

-56.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.22 MYR 4.88

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.09 MYR 16.41

-43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.73 MYR 2.92

308.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$11.84 MYR 47.46

147.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.20 MYR 4.80

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.98 MYR 3.93

111.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$5.83 MYR 23.38

400.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.50 MYR 1.99

268.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.7K MYR 139.2K

12.35%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$31.4K MYR 125.7K

4.27%

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

$188 €162

$43.93 MYR 176

327.54%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$5.12 MYR 20.53

347.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.25 MYR 73.2

101.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$23.20 MYR 93.1

147.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$5.79 MYR 23.20

257.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$3.09 MYR 12.40

262.14%

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

$721 €621

$190 MYR 762

279.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,990 MYR 28.0K

115.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.0 MYR 245

41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$27.04 MYR 108

37.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.0 MYR 289

41.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$50.2 MYR 201

130.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$384 MYR 1,540

299.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$271 MYR 1,085

351.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$650 MYR 2,606

314.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$464 MYR 1,863

333.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,217 MYR 8,890

225.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$869 MYR 3,484

497.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$511 MYR 2,048

361.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.25

-20.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sibu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $384 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 362% 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 $8.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $249 per month, with Sibu 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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sibu differ by about 188% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $821 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 362% 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 $384 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $190 in Sibu. 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 $821 in Sibu versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sibu 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 Sibu 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 Sibu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.