Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bengbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bengbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,061 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,473 in Bengbu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 264% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Bengbu is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.84 ¥19.23

519.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.21 ¥150

208.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.98 ¥33.71

182.33%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.18 ¥21.53

-12.58%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.45 ¥3.03

522.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.77

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.81 ¥5.49

450.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.03 ¥13.75

127.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.04 ¥13.80

-39.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.02 ¥6.88

99.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.72 ¥4.88

166.67%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.47 ¥9.94

125.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.30 ¥63.0

98.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.85 ¥19.27

232.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$8.76 ¥59.3

118.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.35 ¥9.16

95.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.95 ¥6.41

157.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.37 ¥9.30

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.71 ¥4.81

301.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.57 ¥3.88

257.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.55 ¥3.70

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.71 ¥4.84

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.43 ¥2.95

95.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.85 ¥19.32

150.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.04 ¥40.90

30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.67 ¥4.51

105.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.35 ¥9.17

71.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.82

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.96 ¥115

72.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.52 ¥10.29

202.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.36 ¥2.41

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$8.57 ¥58.1

240.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.12 ¥7.59

64.29%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

125.49%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$14.3K ¥97.1K

128.17%

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

$188 €162

$34.21 ¥232

449.02%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$4.93 ¥33.36

365.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$8.15 ¥55.2

350.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$41.98 ¥284

36.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.95 ¥94.5

48.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.47 ¥37.04

104.57%

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

$721 €621

$410 ¥2,777

75.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$18.4K ¥124.3K

-18.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$43.07 ¥292

100.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$33.20 ¥225

11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$67.7 ¥458

50.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$82.8 ¥561

39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$278 ¥1,882

452.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$185 ¥1,253

559.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$587 ¥3,977

359.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$367 ¥2,485

448.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,084 ¥20.9K

134.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,783 ¥12.1K

190.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$652 ¥4,417

261.78%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $278 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 262% 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 $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $158 per month, with Bengbu 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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bengbu differ by about 264% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $649 including rent). Bengbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 262% 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 $278 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu 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 Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 264% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.