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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $884 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,308 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,733 in Sibu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 180% more expensive than in Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Sibu is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.18 MYR 8.91

759.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$19.54 MYR 79.8

255.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.20 MYR 17.16

227.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.36 MYR 9.65

31.36%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.67 MYR 2.73

322.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.24 MYR 0.98

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.02 MYR 12.32

31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.30 MYR 17.55

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.84 MYR 3.41

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.31 MYR 5.34

34.35%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.97 MYR 8.06

160.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$15.04 MYR 61.4

18.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.22 MYR 17.22

128.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.14 MYR 41.40

98.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.24 MYR 13.24

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.84 MYR 7.53

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.74 MYR 11.18

-5.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.50 MYR 6.13

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.26 MYR 5.12

75.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.20 MYR 4.90

76.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.08 MYR 4.41

43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.50 MYR 2.05

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.52 MYR 18.45

62.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$20.54 MYR 83.9

-60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.00 MYR 12.23

-48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.66 MYR 14.93

-23.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.66 MYR 2.69

371.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$14.00 MYR 57.2

84.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.31 MYR 5.33

149.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.44 MYR 1.80

236.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$8.43 MYR 34.41

306.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.66 MYR 2.71

162.12%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

1.06%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$35.2K MYR 143.8K

-13.27%

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

$187 €163

$49.25 MYR 201

279.86%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$7.19 MYR 29.34

110.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$26.77 MYR 109

40.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$27.76 MYR 113

101.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$6.44 MYR 26.30

165.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.65 MYR 14.89

212.60%

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

$997 €869

$180 MYR 735

453.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,923 MYR 20.1K

235.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$61.3 MYR 250

51.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$36.18 MYR 148

13.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$93.0 MYR 380

19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$69.4 MYR 283

80.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$416 MYR 1,696

310.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$359 MYR 1,466

258.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$784 MYR 3,201

227.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$449 MYR 1,832

332.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,916 MYR 7,822

299.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,147 MYR 4,682

350.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$499 MYR 2,037

370.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.2

-24.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sibu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $416 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 371% 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 Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $261 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 180% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $884 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 371% 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 $416 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $180 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $884 in Sibu versus $2,476 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 180% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.