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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $858 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,306 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,754 in Tawau.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 175% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tawau is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$3.59 MYR 14.67

377.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$18.61 MYR 76.0

265.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$4.04 MYR 16.48

237.62%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.26 MYR 9.24

23.01%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.72 MYR 2.93

291.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.36 MYR 1.49

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.41 MYR 9.83

83.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.28 MYR 13.41

40.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.53 MYR 6.23

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.32 MYR 5.37

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.68 MYR 6.87

18.45%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.06 MYR 8.41

63.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$14.84 MYR 60.6

27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$4.45 MYR 18.18

114.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$9.15 MYR 37.37

104.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$2.93 MYR 11.98

-9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.53 MYR 6.23

53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.48 MYR 10.15

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.42 MYR 5.81

92.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.23 MYR 5.04

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.28 MYR 5.21

41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.00 MYR 4.07

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.52 MYR 2.14

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$4.27 MYR 17.43

58.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

$18.31 MYR 74.8

-56.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.90 MYR 11.84

-17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.70 MYR 2.84

315.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$11.94 MYR 48.75

140.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$1.20 MYR 4.92

281.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.99 MYR 4.06

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$5.98 MYR 24.42

380.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.50 MYR 2.05

264.00%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$34.7K MYR 141.6K

13.38%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$31.6K MYR 129.2K

2.66%

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

$187 €162

$44.32 MYR 181

321.10%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$8.87 MYR 36.23

151.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$28.77 MYR 117

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$36.32 MYR 148

58.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$5.78 MYR 23.60

258.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$2.78 MYR 11.36

287.41%

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

$725 €629

$186 MYR 758

290.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,797 MYR 27.8K

122.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$60.0 MYR 245

46.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$26.87 MYR 110

36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$71.9 MYR 294

43.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$50.4 MYR 206

135.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$392 MYR 1,601

288.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$272 MYR 1,110

351.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$649 MYR 2,652

319.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$468 MYR 1,911

323.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$2,253 MYR 9,198

231.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$1,247 MYR 5,092

320.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$420 MYR 1,716

469.37%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tawau: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $392 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 469% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $251 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 175% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $858 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 469% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $392 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $186 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Tawau versus $2,359 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 175% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.