Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $868 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,776 in Tawau.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tawau is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$3.47 MYR 13.70

402.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$18.87 MYR 74.5

270.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$4.15 MYR 16.41

235.18%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.24 MYR 8.83

22.32%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$0.73 MYR 2.89

269.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.36 MYR 1.43

463.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.34 MYR 9.26

92.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.24 MYR 12.81

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.53 MYR 6.05

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.37 MYR 5.43

53.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.67 MYR 6.61

19.16%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.07 MYR 8.16

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$15.18 MYR 60.0

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$4.23 MYR 16.71

122.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$9.64 MYR 38.06

93.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$2.84 MYR 11.20

-8.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.52 MYR 6.02

57.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.52 MYR 9.94

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.38 MYR 5.46

103.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.23 MYR 4.85

65.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.29 MYR 5.08

44.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.04 MYR 4.10

39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.56 MYR 2.23

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.35 MYR 17.18

56.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$19.25 MYR 76.1

-59.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.79 MYR 11.00

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.89 MYR 11.42

-19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.72 MYR 2.85

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$11.88 MYR 46.93

144.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$1.15 MYR 4.55

285.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.02 MYR 4.04

109.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$5.93 MYR 23.44

388.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$0.46 MYR 1.83

313.04%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$35.2K MYR 139.0K

7.66%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

4.94%

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

$186 €158

$43.44 MYR 172

327.37%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$9.23 MYR 36.46

140.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$29.51 MYR 117

23.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$37.18 MYR 147

57.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$5.98 MYR 23.61

246.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$2.82 MYR 11.13

293.62%

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

$705 €601

$184 MYR 727

283.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,823 MYR 27.0K

122.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$61.8 MYR 244

39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$27.81 MYR 110

32.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$73.4 MYR 290

41.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$51.5 MYR 203

124.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$393 MYR 1,551

291.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$272 MYR 1,075

356.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$640 MYR 2,529

326.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$465 MYR 1,837

332.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,911 MYR 7,550

274.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$908 MYR 3,586

433.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$434 MYR 1,714

470.04%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Tawau: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $393 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 470% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $19 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $255 per month, with Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tawau differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $868 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 470% more on average, 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $393 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $184 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $868 in Tawau versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tawau but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tawau 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 Tawau 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 Tawau 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.