Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,292 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,747 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 64% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandakan, Sabah is 37% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 MYR 9.82

$17.15 €14.96

-86.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.83 MYR 77.0

$68.1 €59.3

-72.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.91

$13.64 €11.89

-66.06%

Cappuccino

$2.59 MYR 10.57

$2.78 €2.42

-6.83%

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

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$2.82 €2.46

-75.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$1.96 €1.71

-88.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$4.43 €3.86

-45.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 MYR 14.10

$4.61 €4.01

-25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$1.27 €1.11

30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$2.13 €1.86

-43.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.68

$1.99 €1.73

-42.71%

Eggs

$2.76 MYR 11.26

$3.37 €2.93

-18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 MYR 62.6

$18.96 €16.53

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 MYR 14.01

$9.53 €8.31

-64.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 MYR 29.24

$18.73 €16.33

-61.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 MYR 10.46

$2.65 €2.31

-3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$2.35 €2.05

-49.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 MYR 13.21

$2.09 €1.82

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.09

$2.73 €2.38

-27.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.96 €1.71

-39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$1.81 €1.58

-25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.51 €1.32

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.89 €0.78

-47.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 17.02

$6.78 €5.91

-38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.39 MYR 71.1

$7.92 €6.90

119.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.37 €1.19

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$2.40 €2.09

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$2.91 €2.54

-76.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.00 MYR 49.04

$28.66 €24.98

-58.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.71

$4.58 €3.99

-74.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.23

$2.04 €1.78

-49.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 MYR 24.69

$28.72 €25.03

-78.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.82 €1.59

-72.53%

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

$29.9K MYR 122.1K

$39.3K €34.3K

-23.99%

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

$28.1K MYR 114.7K

$32.5K €28.3K

-13.56%

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

$46.63 MYR 191

$187 €163

-75.01%

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

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$22.29 €19.43

-84.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.79 MYR 97.2

$36.37 €31.71

-34.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.28 MYR 148

$57.5 €50.2

-36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.00 MYR 24.53

$20.74 €18.08

-71.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 MYR 11.75

$10.77 €9.39

-73.35%

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

$94.8 MYR 388

$725 €632

-86.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,390 MYR 17.9K

$15.2K €13.2K

-71.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 MYR 242

$87.9 €76.6

-32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.95 MYR 93.8

$36.81 €32.09

-37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 MYR 293

$103 €90.2

-30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 MYR 392

$119 €103

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MYR 1,598

$1,524 €1,328

-74.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 MYR 1,092

$1,227 €1,070

-78.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MYR 2,664

$2,727 €2,378

-76.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 MYR 1,958

$1,984 €1,730

-75.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,998 MYR 8,166

$7,469 €6,511

-73.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$995 MYR 4,065

$5,243 €4,571

-81.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,215 MYR 4,965

$2,393 €2,086

-49.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-11.50%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 97% 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 Sandakan, Sabah vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $319 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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

Sandakan, Sabah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah and Barcelona differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($838 vs $2,359 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% 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: $391 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.8 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $838 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah 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, Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.