Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beijing (Pekin) Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beijing (Pekin)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in Beijing (Pekin).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,908 in Beijing (Pekin).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,639 in Beijing (Pekin).

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than in Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Beijing (Pekin) is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$4.44 ¥29.76

322.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$29.71 ¥199

133.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.36 ¥35.90

156.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.55 ¥23.75

-12.68%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.55 ¥3.68

414.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.27 ¥1.79

596.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.22 ¥8.19

226.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.67 ¥11.16

171.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.77 ¥11.88

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.67 ¥11.20

29.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.13 ¥7.54

55.75%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.01 ¥13.46

155.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$14.40 ¥96.4

24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.34 ¥22.38

188.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$10.83 ¥72.5

86.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.17 ¥14.51

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.81 ¥12.10

23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.94 ¥12.99

34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.57 ¥10.49

75.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.72 ¥4.82

206.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.92 ¥6.17

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.70 ¥4.68

121.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.62 ¥4.12

53.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.16 ¥27.85

76.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$14.66 ¥98.2

-45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.05 ¥7.00

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.77 ¥11.87

57.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.77 ¥5.13

303.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$34.73 ¥233

-25.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.93 ¥12.89

69.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.35 ¥2.38

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$7.33 ¥49.09

367.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.32 ¥8.81

31.06%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.7K ¥131.8K

84.78%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.8K ¥119.4K

71.33%

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

$187 €163

$56.4 ¥377

232.00%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$8.95 ¥60.0

69.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$14.53 ¥97.3

159.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$39.46 ¥264

41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$24.00 ¥161

-28.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$7.64 ¥51.1

49.35%

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

$997 €868

$658 ¥4,407

51.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$24.3K ¥162.4K

-31.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$65.8 ¥441

40.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$38.10 ¥255

8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$85.7 ¥574

29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$124 ¥831

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$985 ¥6,596

73.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$535 ¥3,581

140.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$2,338 ¥15.7K

9.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,108 ¥7,422

75.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$12.5K ¥83.7K

-38.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$6,363 ¥42.6K

-18.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,663 ¥11.1K

41.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.21

-1.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $985 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 41% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $229 per month, with Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Beijing (Pekin) differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,177 including rent). Beijing (Pekin) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $985 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $658 in Beijing (Pekin). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,177 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Beijing (Pekin) but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.