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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,059 in Beijing (Pekin).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,761 in Beijing (Pekin).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,463 in Beijing (Pekin).

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Beijing (Pekin) is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$4.15 ¥28.13

323.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$27.92 ¥189

145.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$5.31 ¥35.99

164.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.04 ¥20.62

-8.55%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.46 ¥3.12

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.30 ¥2.04

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.14 ¥7.73

291.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.13 ¥14.47

116.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.72 ¥11.69

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.59 ¥10.78

27.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.10 ¥7.48

74.55%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.65 ¥11.19

100.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.98

$15.89 ¥108

15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.22 ¥21.82

194.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.61

$9.98 ¥67.7

91.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$2.11 ¥14.28

25.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.59 ¥10.79

54.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.74 ¥11.79

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.35 ¥9.14

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.83 ¥5.66

145.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$0.92 ¥6.27

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.71 ¥4.85

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 ¥3.80

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.19

$3.45 ¥23.38

106.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$14.96 ¥101

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.86 ¥5.81

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.84 ¥12.50

25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.58

$0.54 ¥3.67

451.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.37

$31.39 ¥213

-6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.85 ¥12.53

148.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.36 ¥2.42

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.30

$10.52 ¥71.3

177.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.10 ¥7.43

67.27%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$18.2K ¥123.1K

114.94%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$15.4K ¥104.4K

112.49%

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

$188 €163

$52.7 ¥357

256.39%

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

$22.93 €19.89

$8.97 ¥60.9

155.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.84

$12.62 ¥85.6

190.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.76

$48.30 ¥328

18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$17.96 ¥122

15.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$8.17 ¥55.4

36.96%

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

$721 €625

$668 ¥4,530

7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$24.1K ¥163.3K

-37.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$61.1 ¥414

41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.15

$34.02 ¥231

8.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$76.8 ¥521

32.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$99.1 ¥672

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$916 ¥6,211

67.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,058

$455 ¥3,089

167.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$1,913 ¥13.0K

40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$1,084 ¥7,351

85.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,261

$12.4K ¥83.9K

-41.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,500

$6,323 ¥42.9K

-17.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,046

$1,569 ¥10.6K

50.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $916 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 50% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $223 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,059 including rent). Beijing (Pekin) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $916 in Beijing (Pekin). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $668 in Beijing (Pekin). Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,059 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $2,367 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 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.