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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $951 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,399 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,847 in Tawau.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 160% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tawau is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.11 MYR 12.70

502.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$19.83 MYR 81.0

250.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.10 MYR 16.74

235.85%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.07 MYR 12.53

0.98%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.02 MYR 4.16

177.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.38 MYR 1.56

394.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.65 MYR 10.81

50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.36 MYR 17.79

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.87 MYR 7.64

-32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.14 MYR 4.65

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.49 MYR 6.10

18.12%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.00 MYR 8.17

156.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.78 MYR 56.3

29.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.49 MYR 18.33

114.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.84 MYR 40.18

104.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.92 MYR 11.91

11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.78 MYR 7.28

25.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.17 MYR 8.85

19.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.86 MYR 7.58

48.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.20 MYR 4.89

84.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.02 MYR 4.16

107.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.33 MYR 5.42

16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 MYR 2.30

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.45 MYR 18.17

64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$18.95 MYR 77.4

-57.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.38 MYR 13.81

-17.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.78 MYR 3.17

298.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$11.45 MYR 46.74

125.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.19 MYR 4.87

174.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.49 MYR 1.98

202.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$8.00 MYR 32.64

328.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.73 MYR 2.97

136.99%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$41.5K MYR 169.5K

-12.38%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.2K MYR 139.6K

-10.70%

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

$187 €163

$51.0 MYR 208

266.97%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$10.52 MYR 42.93

43.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$28.28 MYR 115

33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$42.62 MYR 174

31.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$7.38 MYR 30.12

131.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.62 MYR 14.77

215.19%

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

$997 €869

$181 MYR 740

450.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,615 MYR 22.9K

194.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$52.0 MYR 212

78.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.14 MYR 123

36.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$92.9 MYR 379

19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$66.9 MYR 273

87.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$382 MYR 1,558

347.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$286 MYR 1,167

349.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$743 MYR 3,032

245.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$535 MYR 2,184

262.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,277 MYR 9,295

235.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,204 MYR 4,917

329.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$416 MYR 1,697

465.05%

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 Tawau: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $382 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 465% 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 Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $258 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $951 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 465% 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 $382 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $181 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $951 in Tawau versus $2,476 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 160% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.