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: $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,907 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 61% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandakan, Sabah is 30% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 MYR 15.42

$18.42 €15.88

-79.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.12 MYR 81.8

$69.4 €59.8

-71.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.91

$14.05 €12.11

-65.12%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$3.11 €2.68

-3.86%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$2.96 €2.55

-72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.73

$1.95 €1.69

-78.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MYR 15.00

$3.99 €3.44

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 18.18

$4.62 €3.98

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.32 €1.14

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$2.11 €1.82

-50.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.18

$1.83 €1.57

-16.94%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.68

$5.16 €4.45

-63.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 MYR 55.2

$17.56 €15.14

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.61

$9.50 €8.19

-54.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 MYR 40.53

$19.93 €17.18

-50.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.28

$3.17 €2.73

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.20

$2.21 €1.91

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.88

$2.61 €2.25

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.59

$2.85 €2.46

-43.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.41

$2.17 €1.87

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.11 €1.81

-43.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.62 €1.39

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$0.88 €0.76

-35.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.36

$7.17 €6.18

-37.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 MYR 78.0

$8.33 €7.18

130.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.31

$1.50 €1.29

102.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.22

$2.75 €2.37

36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$3.14 €2.70

-75.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.63 MYR 51.4

$26.25 €22.63

-51.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.13

$3.22 €2.78

-60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.51 €1.30

-68.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.37

$35.26 €30.39

-78.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$1.75 €1.51

-58.29%

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

$43.0K MYR 175.0K

$36.7K €31.6K

17.34%

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

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

$31.7K €27.3K

10.75%

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

$49.67 MYR 202

$187 €161

-73.46%

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

$9.87 MYR 40.13

$15.10 €13.01

-34.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$37.60 €32.41

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 MYR 169

$55.5 €47.83

-25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.59 MYR 26.80

$16.74 €14.43

-60.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.00

$11.71 €10.09

-57.98%

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

$176 MYR 715

$1,011 €871

-82.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,019 MYR 20.4K

$17.1K €14.7K

-70.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 250

$91.4 €78.8

-32.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 MYR 141

$41.00 €35.34

-15.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 MYR 329

$111 €95.3

-26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 MYR 284

$126 €109

-44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 MYR 1,720

$1,704 €1,469

-75.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 MYR 1,366

$1,299 €1,120

-74.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,886

$2,588 €2,231

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,023

$1,929 €1,663

-74.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 MYR 8,274

$7,732 €6,665

-73.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 MYR 4,644

$5,384 €4,641

-78.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,246 MYR 5,068

$2,374 €2,046

-47.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

3.16

32.91%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 91% 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: $20.00 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $333 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 156% in total monthly costs ($970 vs $2,482 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $423 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,482 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.