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: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $894 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,338 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $1,782 in Skudai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 169% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 79% above, Skudai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.03

$3.73 MYR 15.23

382.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.1

$21.28 MYR 86.9

216.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.92

$5.03 MYR 20.55

165.81%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$2.92 MYR 11.93

14.38%

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

$2.95 €2.63

$0.84 MYR 3.45

251.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.42 MYR 1.70

352.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.45

$3.33 MYR 13.60

16.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$5.77 MYR 23.57

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.75 MYR 7.13

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.07 MYR 4.36

83.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.44 MYR 5.88

21.53%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$1.66 MYR 6.78

194.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.57

$9.93 MYR 40.55

75.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.08

$3.29 MYR 13.43

175.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €17.99

$9.29 MYR 37.95

117.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.30 MYR 13.46

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.76 MYR 7.19

15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.66 MYR 10.85

-2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$1.60 MYR 6.56

69.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.40 MYR 5.73

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.65 MYR 6.74

33.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.36 MYR 5.58

13.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.51 MYR 2.08

82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$4.15 MYR 16.95

70.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.80

$14.20 MYR 58.0

-46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.76 MYR 11.28

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.15 MYR 12.87

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$0.73 MYR 2.96

304.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.10

$12.18 MYR 49.74

112.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.79

$1.24 MYR 5.08

152.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.38 MYR 1.56

281.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.45

$9.27 MYR 37.88

268.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.72 MYR 2.93

148.61%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

-16.01%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$33.2K MYR 135.5K

-8.64%

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

$181 €161

$49.74 MYR 203

263.25%

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

$13.56 €12.09

$8.09 MYR 33.03

67.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.30

$27.19 MYR 111

29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.38

$40.27 MYR 164

32.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.31

$6.98 MYR 28.50

129.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.13

$4.89 MYR 19.96

132.52%

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

$939 €837

$162 MYR 663

478.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$4,544 MYR 18.6K

263.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.6

$51.5 MYR 210

71.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.45

$16.60 MYR 67.8

139.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$76.6 MYR 313

34.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$86.8 MYR 355

37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,511

$402 MYR 1,641

322.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,159

$304 MYR 1,241

328.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,296

$669 MYR 2,734

284.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,730

$484 MYR 1,979

300.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,658

$2,027 MYR 8,279

268.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,630

$1,105 MYR 4,514

370.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,049

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.06

-19.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Skudai: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $402 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $228 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 169% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $894 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,607 in Barcelona and $1,341 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $402 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $162 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Skudai versus $2,405 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 169% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.