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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,802 in Beijing (Pekin).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,536 in Beijing (Pekin).

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Beijing (Pekin) is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.10

$4.28 ¥28.98

301.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$28.21 ¥191

150.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.32

$5.23 ¥35.39

168.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.10 ¥21.00

-10.32%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.42 ¥2.88

561.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.30 ¥2.04

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$1.09 ¥7.36

314.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$2.04 ¥13.83

128.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.73 ¥11.70

-25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.60 ¥10.81

33.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.06 ¥7.18

82.08%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$1.66 ¥11.24

110.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$15.60 ¥106

18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$3.30 ¥22.32

188.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.61

$9.66 ¥65.4

95.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$2.07 ¥14.02

26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.59 ¥10.73

47.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.74 ¥11.76

19.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.29 ¥8.73

120.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.84 ¥5.67

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.97 ¥6.57

90.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.68 ¥4.59

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.52 ¥3.51

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$3.53 ¥23.88

91.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.84

$14.77 ¥99.9

-47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.86 ¥5.81

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.84 ¥12.44

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.58 ¥3.93

417.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.15

$30.94 ¥209

-7.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$1.76 ¥11.90

160.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.35 ¥2.39

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.97

$10.52 ¥71.2

180.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.64

59.29%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$18.2K ¥122.9K

111.78%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$15.8K ¥107.0K

110.27%

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

$185 €162

$51.2 ¥347

260.86%

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

$22.68 €19.93

$8.70 ¥58.9

160.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.32

$12.51 ¥84.7

194.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$48.42 ¥328

19.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.62

$18.36 ¥124

15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.51

$8.46 ¥57.3

28.01%

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

$727 €639

$678 ¥4,589

7.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$24.2K ¥163.8K

-39.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.9

$61.5 ¥416

42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.83

$34.85 ¥236

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.7

$77.8 ¥527

32.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$99.5 ¥673

19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,371

$896 ¥6,062

74.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$458 ¥3,098

166.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,410

$1,935 ¥13.1K

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,750

$1,078 ¥7,292

84.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,581

$12.3K ¥83.3K

-39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,575

$6,111 ¥41.4K

-14.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,069

$1,586 ¥10.7K

48.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.64

-6.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $896 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 48% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $221 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,069 including rent). Beijing (Pekin) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $896 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $678 in Beijing (Pekin). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $2,316 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.