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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $657 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,050 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,443 in Bengbu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 259% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$2.84 ¥19.40

521.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$22.65 ¥155

200.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.85 ¥33.12

187.84%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.11 ¥21.26

-11.25%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.45 ¥3.05

513.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.24 ¥1.63

720.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$0.80 ¥5.47

466.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.15 ¥14.70

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.06 ¥14.07

-39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.01 ¥6.92

101.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.67 ¥4.54

185.07%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.49 ¥10.20

127.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$9.31 ¥63.6

96.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$2.84 ¥19.36

230.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$9.18 ¥62.7

105.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.36 ¥9.32

93.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.01 ¥6.88

137.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.36 ¥9.32

55.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$0.71 ¥4.85

280.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.58 ¥3.93

253.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.58 ¥3.98

206.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.71 ¥4.85

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.44 ¥2.99

106.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$2.82 ¥19.26

148.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$6.03 ¥41.16

25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.71 ¥4.87

102.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.35 ¥9.21

71.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.29 ¥1.99

913.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$16.96 ¥116

73.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.49 ¥10.17

204.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.33 ¥2.22

548.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$8.23 ¥56.2

252.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.18 ¥8.05

60.17%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

127.93%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$14.2K ¥97.0K

128.36%

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

$189 €161

$34.29 ¥234

450.63%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$4.94 ¥33.73

350.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$8.48 ¥57.9

331.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$42.48 ¥290

36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$14.01 ¥95.7

52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$5.65 ¥38.59

94.87%

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

$731 €622

$411 ¥2,807

77.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$18.2K ¥124.2K

-18.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$43.09 ¥294

107.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$32.50 ¥222

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$67.2 ¥459

55.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$82.1 ¥561

41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$282 ¥1,929

448.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$184 ¥1,256

561.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$593 ¥4,053

371.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$360 ¥2,459

457.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,185 ¥21.8K

124.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,807 ¥12.3K

177.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$660 ¥4,508

273.06%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $282 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 273% 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 in Barcelona vs $23 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $160 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 259% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $657 including rent). Bengbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 273% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $282 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $411 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Bengbu versus $2,356 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 259% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.