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: $782 in Bintulu versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Bintulu versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,692 in Bintulu versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Bintulu costs roughly 66% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bintulu is 41% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 MYR 15.72

$17.66 €15.45

-78.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.40 MYR 71.2

$69.7 €61.0

-75.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 MYR 23.00

$14.16 €12.39

-60.31%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.41

$2.80 €2.45

-0.36%

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

$0.62 MYR 2.55

$2.81 €2.46

-77.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.49

$2.06 €1.81

-82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 MYR 11.91

$4.60 €4.02

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 MYR 20.09

$4.69 €4.10

4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.23 €1.08

41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.36

$2.03 €1.78

-35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.12

$1.98 €1.73

-36.87%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.99

$3.49 €3.05

-36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.43 MYR 67.2

$18.33 €16.04

-10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.15

$9.83 €8.60

-64.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 MYR 23.82

$19.13 €16.73

-69.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.87

$2.73 €2.38

-38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 4.01

$2.38 €2.09

-58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$2.08 €1.82

-20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$2.75 €2.41

-61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.96 €1.72

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$1.79 €1.57

-35.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$1.48 €1.29

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$0.91 €0.80

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 MYR 15.92

$7.13 €6.24

-45.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.91 MYR 81.5

$7.88 €6.89

152.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.76

$1.38 €1.21

108.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MYR 7.63

$2.39 €2.09

-21.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$3.01 €2.63

-61.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.91 MYR 65.1

$29.35 €25.68

-45.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 MYR 3.75

$4.36 €3.82

-78.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 MYR 3.53

$2.13 €1.86

-59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 MYR 9.71

$29.60 €25.90

-91.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.12

$1.82 €1.59

-71.43%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.4K

$37.9K €33.1K

11.24%

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

$37.0K MYR 151.1K

$32.4K €28.3K

14.13%

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

$57.8 MYR 236

$189 €165

-69.44%

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

$9.04 MYR 36.97

$22.29 €19.50

-59.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 MYR 119

$37.16 €32.51

-21.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 MYR 262

$58.0 €50.8

10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 MYR 23.89

$20.66 €18.08

-71.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 MYR 17.08

$10.87 €9.51

-61.55%

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

$120 MYR 493

$706 €618

-82.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,111 MYR 29.1K

$14.9K €13.0K

-52.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 MYR 255

$89.4 €78.3

-30.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 MYR 139

$36.60 €32.02

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 MYR 311

$104 €91.0

-26.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 MYR 361

$119 €104

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 MYR 851

$1,579 €1,381

-86.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 MYR 616

$1,238 €1,083

-87.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 MYR 1,890

$2,712 €2,373

-82.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MYR 1,279

$2,039 €1,784

-84.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 MYR 7,161

$7,527 €6,585

-76.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,164 MYR 4,762

$5,239 €4,584

-77.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$609 MYR 2,491

$2,364 €2,068

-74.23%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bintulu and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 288% 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: $17.00 in Bintulu vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $320 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 197% in total monthly costs ($782 vs $2,320 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 288% lower in Barcelona. 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: $208 in Bintulu versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $120 in Bintulu versus $706 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 $782 in Bintulu versus $2,320 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 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.