Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beihai Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beihai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $723 in Beihai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,178 in Beihai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Beihai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 243% more expensive than in Beihai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Beihai is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$2.92 ¥19.58

530.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$22.44 ¥150

209.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.28 ¥35.33

166.10%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.78 ¥18.61

11.87%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.46 ¥3.07

543.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.31 ¥2.08

529.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.02 ¥6.81

291.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.02 ¥13.56

128.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.81 ¥12.13

-27.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.71 ¥11.49

23.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.96 ¥6.40

90.63%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.65 ¥11.05

212.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.42 ¥89.9

30.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.48 ¥23.28

172.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$11.18 ¥74.9

78.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.84 ¥12.29

72.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.31 ¥8.75

68.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.61 ¥10.79

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.24 ¥8.32

129.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.75 ¥4.99

189.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.89 ¥5.94

137.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.58 ¥3.88

179.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.58 ¥3.91

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.65 ¥24.44

96.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.62 ¥77.8

-28.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.85 ¥5.66

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.61 ¥10.79

70.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.31 ¥2.09

912.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$17.62 ¥118

48.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.52 ¥10.21

111.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.33 ¥2.18

357.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$6.95 ¥46.53

407.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.20 ¥8.06

45.83%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$19.0K ¥127.4K

92.74%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$17.4K ¥116.4K

82.25%

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

$187 €161

$54.7 ¥366

241.96%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$8.50 ¥57.0

77.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$10.97 ¥73.5

242.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$41.41 ¥277

34.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$14.96 ¥100

11.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.19 ¥41.44

89.18%

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

$1,011 €871

$427 ¥2,857

136.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.7K ¥112.1K

2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$42.24 ¥283

116.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$33.15 ¥222

23.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$75.1 ¥503

47.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$74.8 ¥501

68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$294 ¥1,966

480.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$183 ¥1,228

608.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$604 ¥4,048

328.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$372 ¥2,491

418.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$3,205 ¥21.5K

141.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,922 ¥12.9K

180.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.38

-6.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Beihai: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $294 in Beihai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Beihai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $211 per month, with Beihai 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

Barcelona vs Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Beihai differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $723 including rent). Beihai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,085 in Beihai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $294 in Beihai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $427 in Beihai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Beihai versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Beihai but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Beihai 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, Barcelona and Beihai 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 Beihai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.