Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Bintulu versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Bintulu versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,681 in Bintulu versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Bintulu costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bintulu is 42% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 MYR 14.82

$17.58 €15.12

-78.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.52 MYR 69.5

$68.4 €58.9

-74.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 MYR 22.64

$14.06 €12.09

-59.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MYR 11.55

$2.78 €2.39

4.68%

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

$0.66 MYR 2.62

$2.80 €2.41

-76.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.57

$2.06 €1.78

-80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 MYR 10.89

$4.46 €3.84

-38.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 MYR 19.84

$4.61 €3.96

8.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MYR 6.84

$1.24 €1.07

39.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.41

$2.03 €1.74

-33.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.06

$1.92 €1.65

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.19 MYR 8.70

$3.31 €2.85

-33.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.56 MYR 65.7

$18.43 €15.85

-10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 MYR 13.26

$9.49 €8.16

-64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.74 MYR 22.75

$19.16 €16.48

-70.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.70

$2.64 €2.27

-35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.83

$2.45 €2.11

-60.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.48

$2.12 €1.82

-23.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.45

$2.85 €2.45

-60.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MYR 2.07

$2.04 €1.75

-74.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.56

$1.85 €1.59

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 MYR 2.85

$1.47 €1.26

-51.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.56

$0.84 €0.73

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 MYR 15.64

$7.14 €6.14

-44.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.24 MYR 76.3

$7.88 €6.78

144.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MYR 11.01

$1.38 €1.19

101.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MYR 7.70

$2.31 €1.99

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 MYR 4.56

$2.98 €2.56

-61.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.56 MYR 61.7

$29.26 €25.17

-46.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.86

$4.60 €3.95

-78.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 MYR 3.42

$2.07 €1.78

-58.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 MYR 9.29

$29.18 €25.10

-91.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.02

$1.84 €1.58

-72.28%

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

$41.9K MYR 166.3K

$39.0K €33.6K

7.49%

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

$37.5K MYR 148.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

14.76%

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

$57.1 MYR 226

$188 €162

-69.61%

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

$9.31 MYR 36.93

$22.93 €19.73

-59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 MYR 118

$36.71 €31.58

-18.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 MYR 256

$57.4 €49.35

12.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 22.97

$20.70 €17.80

-72.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 MYR 16.57

$11.19 €9.63

-62.65%

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

$121 MYR 479

$721 €620

-83.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,933 MYR 27.5K

$15.0K €12.9K

-53.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 243

$86.2 €74.2

-28.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.41 MYR 132

$37.07 €31.89

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MYR 309

$102 €87.8

-23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 MYR 344

$116 €99.7

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 MYR 830

$1,534 €1,319

-86.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 MYR 606

$1,220 €1,050

-87.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,845

$2,696 €2,319

-82.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MYR 1,272

$2,013 €1,732

-84.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,779 MYR 7,054

$7,220 €6,211

-75.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 MYR 4,762

$5,189 €4,463

-76.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 MYR 2,474

$2,359 €2,029

-73.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.39

32.74%

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

Last update for Bintulu: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Bintulu and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 278% 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: $18.00 in Bintulu vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $318 per month, with Bintulu 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

Bintulu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu and Barcelona differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($784 vs $2,367 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 278% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in Bintulu versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $121 in Bintulu versus $721 in Barcelona. 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 $784 in Bintulu versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu 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, Bintulu and Barcelona 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.