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: $865 in Bintulu versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,330 in Bintulu versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,795 in Bintulu versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Bintulu costs roughly 65% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bintulu is 37% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 MYR 15.66

$18.39 €15.87

-78.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 MYR 76.0

$69.2 €59.7

-72.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 MYR 24.54

$14.13 €12.19

-57.04%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.68

$3.13 €2.70

-7.67%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.81

$3.02 €2.60

-77.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.68

$1.96 €1.69

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MYR 11.86

$4.00 €3.45

-26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 20.94

$4.76 €4.11

8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 MYR 8.48

$1.25 €1.08

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.50

$2.16 €1.87

-37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.41

$1.69 €1.45

-20.71%

Eggs

$2.27 MYR 9.17

$4.93 €4.26

-53.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.16 MYR 69.4

$17.88 €15.43

-4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 MYR 14.33

$9.61 €8.29

-63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.84 MYR 23.61

$19.34 €16.69

-69.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.17

$3.24 €2.79

-45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 MYR 4.14

$2.18 €1.88

-53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.88

$2.67 €2.30

-36.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.57

$2.77 €2.39

-59.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$2.21 €1.91

-76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.90

$2.19 €1.89

-44.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MYR 3.03

$1.52 €1.31

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.92 €0.80

-55.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 17.31

$7.12 €6.14

-39.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 MYR 79.4

$8.14 €7.02

141.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.46

$1.50 €1.29

105.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 MYR 8.23

$2.78 €2.40

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 MYR 4.88

$3.15 €2.72

-61.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.56 MYR 67.0

$26.99 €23.29

-38.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$3.25 €2.80

-70.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 MYR 3.63

$1.50 €1.30

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MYR 10.32

$34.89 €30.11

-92.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$1.75 €1.51

-66.29%

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

$44.9K MYR 181.4K

$36.7K €31.6K

22.42%

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

$40.2K MYR 162.6K

$30.9K €26.7K

30.02%

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

$61.2 MYR 247

$188 €162

-67.39%

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

$32.46 MYR 131

$15.44 €13.32

110.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.07 MYR 126

$37.80 €32.61

-17.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 MYR 276

$57.2 €49.34

19.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 MYR 49.23

$16.80 €14.49

-27.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MYR 18.35

$11.58 €9.99

-60.79%

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

$126 MYR 508

$1,003 €865

-87.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,322 MYR 29.6K

$17.0K €14.7K

-56.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 MYR 268

$89.2 €77.0

-25.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.73 MYR 144

$40.87 €35.27

-12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 MYR 321

$110 €94.9

-27.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 MYR 380

$123 €106

-23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 MYR 914

$1,673 €1,444

-86.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 MYR 637

$1,331 €1,149

-88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,926

$2,596 €2,240

-81.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MYR 1,402

$1,950 €1,683

-82.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,726 MYR 6,980

$7,573 €6,535

-77.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 MYR 4,782

$5,370 €4,634

-77.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MYR 2,450

$2,402 €2,073

-74.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.16

42.41%

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

Last update for Bintulu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $226 in Bintulu and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 296% 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: $19.00 in Bintulu vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $332 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 188% in total monthly costs ($865 vs $2,495 including rent). Bintulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 296% 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: $226 in Bintulu versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Bintulu versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $865 in Bintulu versus $2,495 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 188% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.