Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Sarawak versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,286 in Sarawak versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,673 in Sarawak versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 33% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.79

$17.08 €14.80

-78.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 MYR 76.4

$69.2 €60.0

-72.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 MYR 21.46

$13.78 €11.95

-61.68%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.23

$2.76 €2.39

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

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$2.79 €2.42

-73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.99 €1.73

-80.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 MYR 32.16

$4.36 €3.78

81.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 MYR 33.71

$4.74 €4.11

74.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$1.29 €1.12

46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$2.05 €1.78

-51.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.23

$1.99 €1.72

-35.18%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.28

$3.39 €2.94

-39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.95 MYR 60.8

$18.81 €16.31

-20.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.39

$9.36 €8.12

-72.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.35

$19.12 €16.57

-49.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.82

$2.70 €2.34

7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.00

$2.34 €2.03

-36.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.48

$2.12 €1.84

21.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$2.85 €2.47

-49.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.97

$1.97 €1.71

-38.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$1.80 €1.56

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.45 €1.26

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.86 €0.74

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$6.78 €5.87

-36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MYR 70.9

$7.90 €6.85

120.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 MYR 11.49

$1.39 €1.20

102.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.15

$2.37 €2.06

26.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$2.92 €2.53

-76.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.98 MYR 48.71

$28.69 €24.86

-58.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.67

$4.46 €3.86

-74.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 MYR 3.99

$2.05 €1.78

-52.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 MYR 24.06

$29.55 €25.61

-79.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$1.82 €1.57

-73.08%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.1K

$38.8K €33.7K

-10.03%

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

$31.9K MYR 129.8K

$33.1K €28.7K

-3.60%

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

$43.20 MYR 176

$189 €164

-77.17%

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

$8.94 MYR 36.36

$22.80 €19.76

-60.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MYR 119

$37.59 €32.58

-22.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.24 MYR 151

$57.7 €50.1

-35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.00 MYR 24.39

$20.74 €17.98

-71.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MYR 20.59

$10.82 €9.38

-53.23%

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

$189 MYR 770

$728 €631

-74.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,935 MYR 28.2K

$14.8K €12.8K

-53.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.81 MYR 150

$88.6 €76.8

-58.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 MYR 160

$36.85 €31.94

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MYR 313

$102 €88.4

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.1 MYR 228

$116 €101

-51.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 MYR 1,317

$1,569 €1,360

-79.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MYR 1,095

$1,218 €1,056

-77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,052

$2,795 €2,423

-81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,463

$1,975 €1,712

-81.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,935 MYR 7,870

$7,754 €6,720

-75.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 MYR 3,956

$5,176 €4,486

-81.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 MYR 1,708

$2,343 €2,031

-82.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

3.39

20.06%

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

Last update for Sarawak: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $324 in Sarawak and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 458% 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 Sarawak vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $319 per month, with Sarawak 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

Sarawak vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak and Barcelona differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($900 vs $2,337 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 458% 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: $324 in Sarawak versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Sarawak versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sarawak versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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, Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.