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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $903 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,339 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,775 in Skudai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Skudai is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$3.63 MYR 14.67

417.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$21.81 MYR 88.1

218.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$4.83 MYR 19.53

191.51%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.95 MYR 11.92

5.76%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.79 MYR 3.18

268.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.45 MYR 1.80

315.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.28 MYR 13.24

21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$5.74 MYR 23.21

-19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.76 MYR 7.09

-32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.03 MYR 4.17

106.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.50 MYR 6.07

22.67%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.72 MYR 6.95

198.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$10.03 MYR 40.50

63.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$3.31 MYR 13.36

193.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$9.52 MYR 38.45

106.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.69 MYR 10.86

16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.77 MYR 7.14

23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.69 MYR 10.85

-8.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.62 MYR 6.53

70.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.42 MYR 5.72

49.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.73 MYR 6.99

28.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.33 MYR 5.39

12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.52 MYR 2.08

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$4.35 MYR 17.56

66.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$13.91 MYR 56.2

-40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.82 MYR 11.40

-45.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.00 MYR 12.12

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.64 MYR 2.60

379.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$10.58 MYR 42.73

145.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$1.26 MYR 5.09

165.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.39 MYR 1.56

382.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$9.15 MYR 36.95

282.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.73 MYR 2.95

138.36%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$42.3K MYR 170.9K

-13.68%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$32.7K MYR 131.9K

-3.48%

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

$183 €156

$39.93 MYR 161

357.93%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$8.29 MYR 33.50

89.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$26.56 MYR 107

38.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$43.68 MYR 176

22.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$7.42 MYR 29.96

130.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$5.05 MYR 20.41

127.92%

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

$952 €815

$163 MYR 657

485.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$4,435 MYR 17.9K

264.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$50.9 MYR 206

62.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$16.39 MYR 66.2

146.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$78.9 MYR 319

36.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$41.09 MYR 166

205.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$480 MYR 1,938

247.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$395 MYR 1,595

226.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$624 MYR 2,520

326.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$554 MYR 2,240

243.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$2,347 MYR 9,483

220.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$1,174 MYR 4,741

341.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.06

-23.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Skudai: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $480 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $226 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $903 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,651 in Barcelona and $1,355 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $480 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $163 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $903 in Skudai versus $2,434 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 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.