Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Miri versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,091 in Miri versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,499 in Miri versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Miri costs roughly 71% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miri is 49% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.22 MYR 12.78

$17.58 €15.12

-81.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.73 MYR 46.49

$68.4 €58.9

-82.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 MYR 15.94

$14.06 €12.09

-71.41%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MYR 10.61

$2.78 €2.39

-3.60%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.76

$2.80 €2.41

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$2.06 €1.78

-82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MYR 11.45

$4.46 €3.84

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MYR 14.66

$4.61 €3.96

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MYR 5.37

$1.24 €1.07

8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 MYR 5.73

$2.03 €1.74

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 MYR 3.18

$1.92 €1.65

-58.33%

Eggs

$3.27 MYR 12.97

$3.31 €2.85

-1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MYR 43.64

$18.43 €15.85

-40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 MYR 19.05

$9.49 €8.16

-49.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 MYR 47.72

$19.16 €16.48

-37.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MYR 12.53

$2.64 €2.27

19.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.73

$2.45 €2.11

-51.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 8.97

$2.12 €1.82

6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.49

$2.85 €2.45

-51.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.35

$2.04 €1.75

-71.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MYR 3.57

$1.85 €1.59

-51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.61

$1.47 €1.26

-38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.33

$0.84 €0.73

-60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.77

$7.14 €6.14

-40.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.47 MYR 81.2

$7.88 €6.78

159.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.02

$1.38 €1.19

119.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MYR 8.98

$2.31 €1.99

-1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 MYR 5.41

$2.98 €2.56

-54.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.72 MYR 34.59

$29.26 €25.17

-70.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.77

$4.60 €3.95

-73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 2.97

$2.07 €1.78

-63.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MYR 22.85

$29.18 €25.10

-80.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.84 €1.58

-75.00%

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

$57.9K MYR 229.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

48.53%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

-13.77%

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

$30.45 MYR 121

$188 €162

-83.79%

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

$9.34 MYR 37.04

$22.93 €19.73

-59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 MYR 128

$36.71 €31.58

-12.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 MYR 113

$57.4 €49.35

-50.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.75 MYR 22.79

$20.70 €17.80

-72.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 MYR 16.53

$11.19 €9.63

-62.73%

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

$97.6 MYR 387

$721 €620

-86.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,240 MYR 20.8K

$15.0K €12.9K

-65.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.09 MYR 139

$86.2 €74.2

-59.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.06 MYR 75.6

$37.07 €31.89

-48.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 MYR 178

$102 €87.8

-56.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.98 MYR 127

$116 €99.7

-72.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,231

$1,534 €1,319

-79.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 MYR 656

$1,220 €1,050

-86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 MYR 1,961

$2,696 €2,319

-81.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,501

$2,013 €1,732

-81.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,286 MYR 5,100

$7,220 €6,211

-82.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$697 MYR 2,765

$5,189 €4,463

-86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 MYR 3,041

$2,359 €2,029

-67.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

3.39

7.08%

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

Last update for Miri: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Miri and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 208% 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: $12.00 in Miri vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $318 per month, with Miri 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

Miri vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri and Barcelona differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($682 vs $2,367 including rent). Miri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 208% 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: $311 in Miri versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $97.6 in Miri 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 28% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Miri versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Miri 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, Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.