Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,029 in Selangor versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Selangor versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Selangor versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 59% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 25% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 MYR 17.76

$18.39 €15.87

-76.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.22 MYR 81.8

$69.2 €59.7

-70.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.43

$14.13 €12.19

-71.27%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 9.06

$3.13 €2.70

-28.43%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.41

$3.02 €2.60

-72.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$1.96 €1.69

-78.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.19

$4.00 €3.45

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MYR 20.09

$4.76 €4.11

4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.62

$1.25 €1.08

50.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.49

$2.16 €1.87

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.02

$1.69 €1.45

-11.83%

Eggs

$2.01 MYR 8.14

$4.93 €4.26

-59.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 MYR 65.2

$17.88 €15.43

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MYR 19.79

$9.61 €8.29

-49.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.10

$19.34 €16.69

-48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.58

$3.24 €2.79

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.45

$2.18 €1.88

-15.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 MYR 9.51

$2.67 €2.30

-11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.69

$2.77 €2.39

-40.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.41

$2.21 €1.91

-39.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.24

$2.19 €1.89

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$1.52 €1.31

-23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$0.92 €0.80

-36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.46

$7.12 €6.14

-35.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.2

$8.14 €7.02

134.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.69

$1.50 €1.29

126.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MYR 20.49

$2.78 €2.40

82.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$3.15 €2.72

-60.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 MYR 50.9

$26.99 €23.29

-53.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$3.25 €2.80

-62.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 MYR 5.10

$1.50 €1.30

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MYR 18.05

$34.89 €30.11

-87.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 MYR 2.77

$1.75 €1.51

-60.57%

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

$42.9K MYR 173.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

17.06%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.5K

$30.9K €26.7K

14.72%

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

$65.6 MYR 265

$188 €162

-65.06%

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

$9.42 MYR 38.10

$15.44 €13.32

-38.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.41 MYR 107

$37.80 €32.61

-30.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 MYR 164

$57.2 €49.34

-29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 MYR 28.68

$16.80 €14.49

-57.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MYR 21.96

$11.58 €9.99

-53.11%

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

$123 MYR 499

$1,003 €865

-87.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,417 MYR 30.0K

$17.0K €14.7K

-56.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 MYR 288

$89.2 €77.0

-20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 MYR 174

$40.87 €35.27

5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 319

$110 €94.9

-28.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 MYR 333

$123 €106

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MYR 2,057

$1,673 €1,444

-69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,405

$1,331 €1,149

-73.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MYR 3,685

$2,596 €2,240

-64.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,977

$1,950 €1,683

-74.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 MYR 6,540

$7,573 €6,535

-78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 MYR 2,874

$5,370 €4,634

-86.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,285

$2,402 €2,073

-55.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.16

25.32%

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

Last update for Selangor: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Selangor and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 127% 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 Selangor vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $332 per month, with Selangor 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

Selangor vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor and Barcelona differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($1,029 vs $2,495 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 127% 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: $509 in Selangor versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Selangor 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 20% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,029 in Selangor versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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, Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.