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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $802 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,227 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,652 in Sibu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 194% more expensive than in Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sibu is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$2.16 MYR 8.84

693.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$8.61 MYR 35.20

690.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$4.18 MYR 17.10

226.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.08 MYR 8.50

33.65%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.63 MYR 2.59

347.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.23 MYR 0.93

752.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.85 MYR 11.65

55.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$5.08 MYR 20.77

-9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.39 MYR 5.67

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.35 MYR 5.53

57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.15 MYR 4.70

73.04%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.53 MYR 6.24

120.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$14.98 MYR 61.2

26.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$4.67 MYR 19.07

104.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$5.98 MYR 24.42

213.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.16 MYR 4.75

102.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.93 MYR 7.87

8.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.19 MYR 4.86

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.33 MYR 9.54

-22.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.05 MYR 4.28

43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.20 MYR 4.89

-25.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$4.06 MYR 16.58

67.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-59.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.22 MYR 5.00

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$3.90 MYR 15.96

-38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.72 MYR 2.96

304.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$11.95 MYR 48.84

139.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.21 MYR 4.94

278.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.99 MYR 4.06

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$5.80 MYR 23.70

395.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.47 MYR 1.90

287.23%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$35.5K MYR 145.1K

10.75%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$31.8K MYR 129.9K

2.21%

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

$187 €163

$42.92 MYR 175

334.83%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$5.16 MYR 21.11

331.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$18.36 MYR 75.1

98.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$22.98 MYR 93.9

150.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$5.80 MYR 23.69

257.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$3.22 MYR 13.17

234.47%

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

$725 €632

$185 MYR 756

291.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$6,983 MYR 28.5K

116.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$60.4 MYR 247

45.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$27.03 MYR 110

36.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$71.7 MYR 293

44.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$49.94 MYR 204

137.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$392 MYR 1,603

288.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$269 MYR 1,097

356.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$653 MYR 2,670

317.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$465 MYR 1,899

327.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,325 MYR 9,502

221.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,259 MYR 5,145

316.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$489 MYR 1,998

389.37%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sibu: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $392 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 389% 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 $9.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $252 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 194% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $802 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 389% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $392 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $185 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Sibu versus $2,359 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 194% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.