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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $705 in Beihai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,118 in Beihai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,531 in Beihai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 228% more expensive than in Beihai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Beihai is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$2.82 ¥19.10

509.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$21.10 ¥143

235.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$4.97 ¥33.60

182.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.93 ¥19.80

-5.12%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.47 ¥3.18

491.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.29 ¥1.99

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$0.95 ¥6.42

375.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$2.06 ¥13.94

126.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.83 ¥12.36

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.59 ¥10.76

34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$0.89 ¥6.02

116.85%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$1.64 ¥11.06

112.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$12.98 ¥87.8

42.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$3.22 ¥21.75

195.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$10.07 ¥68.1

87.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.75 ¥11.83

49.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.26 ¥8.56

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.42 ¥9.59

46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.13 ¥7.67

152.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.73 ¥4.96

168.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.92 ¥6.24

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.59 ¥4.02

159.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.51 ¥3.46

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$3.15 ¥21.28

114.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$13.44 ¥90.9

-42.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.74 ¥5.03

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.58 ¥10.72

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.27 ¥1.81

1011.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$16.89 ¥114

69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.36 ¥9.21

236.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.35 ¥2.37

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$6.67 ¥45.11

343.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.18 ¥7.98

52.54%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$19.0K ¥128.4K

102.59%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$16.7K ¥112.9K

99.30%

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

$185 €162

$46.25 ¥313

299.72%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$9.86 ¥66.7

130.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$11.48 ¥77.6

220.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$42.01 ¥284

37.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$13.79 ¥93.3

53.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$6.29 ¥42.56

72.18%

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

$727 €637

$338 ¥2,290

114.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

-11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$44.03 ¥298

98.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$30.07 ¥203

24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$70.2 ¥475

47.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$73.2 ¥495

61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$280 ¥1,895

456.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$185 ¥1,252

559.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$581 ¥3,932

371.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$355 ¥2,402

460.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$3,420 ¥23.1K

118.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$1,704 ¥11.5K

205.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Beihai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $280 in Beihai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Beihai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 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 228% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $705 including rent). Beihai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,058 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $280 in Beihai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $338 in Beihai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $705 in Beihai versus $2,316 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 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.