Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skudai Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skudai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $819 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,226 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Skudai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 193% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Skudai is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$3.63 MYR 14.92

387.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$19.10 MYR 78.6

266.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$4.59 MYR 18.91

197.60%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$2.90 MYR 11.94

-5.52%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.72 MYR 2.97

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.37 MYR 1.50

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.56 MYR 14.65

22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$5.18 MYR 21.30

-11.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.86 MYR 7.67

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.96 MYR 3.94

113.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.30 MYR 5.35

52.31%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$1.90 MYR 7.81

78.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$10.45 MYR 42.98

78.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$3.55 MYR 14.61

169.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$8.06 MYR 33.18

133.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.75 MYR 11.32

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.52 MYR 6.24

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.48 MYR 10.22

-15.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$1.20 MYR 4.95

135.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.19 MYR 4.89

69.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.37 MYR 5.64

35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.90 MYR 3.71

67.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.55 MYR 2.28

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$4.14 MYR 17.03

70.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$14.21 MYR 58.5

-43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.66 MYR 10.94

-46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.88 MYR 11.86

-20.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.69 MYR 2.84

317.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$11.88 MYR 48.89

138.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$0.99 MYR 4.06

342.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.04 MYR 4.27

105.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$9.49 MYR 39.05

207.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.46 MYR 1.90

304.35%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$31.5K MYR 129.8K

23.56%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$28.0K MYR 115.3K

16.68%

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

$189 €165

$40.53 MYR 167

366.57%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$9.07 MYR 37.31

150.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$22.74 MYR 93.6

60.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$36.31 MYR 149

58.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$6.03 MYR 24.80

254.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$4.90 MYR 20.18

120.61%

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

$726 €634

$189 MYR 778

283.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$7,031 MYR 28.9K

114.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$48.98 MYR 202

78.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$19.15 MYR 78.8

92.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$59.7 MYR 246

73.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$46.97 MYR 193

147.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$383 MYR 1,574

311.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$264 MYR 1,088

361.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$638 MYR 2,627

324.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$480 MYR 1,975

309.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,916 MYR 7,884

307.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$959 MYR 3,945

449.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.07

-16.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Skudai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $383 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $217 per month, with Skudai 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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Skudai differ by about 193% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $819 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $1,228 in Skudai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $383 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $189 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $819 in Skudai versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai 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 Skudai 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 Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.