Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benxi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benxi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $656 in Benxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $938 in Benxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,221 in Benxi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 257% more expensive than Benxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.77 ¥18.99

535.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$20.51 ¥140

234.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.94 ¥33.82

178.34%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.59 ¥17.71

6.56%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.45 ¥3.12

517.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.29 ¥1.99

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$0.71 ¥4.88

549.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.65 ¥11.32

178.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.70 ¥11.65

-24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.14 ¥7.78

85.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.79 ¥5.43

149.37%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.11 ¥7.58

209.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.16 ¥62.8

105.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.79 ¥19.10

238.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$8.19 ¥56.1

132.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.40 ¥9.62

94.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.28 ¥8.80

85.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.54 ¥10.56

35.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.22 ¥8.33

126.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.58 ¥3.97

239.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.77 ¥12.11

1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.17 ¥8.01

29.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 ¥4.11

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.76 ¥18.91

144.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.16 ¥55.9

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.58 ¥3.99

148.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$0.91 ¥6.20

164.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.27 ¥1.85

1022.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.27 ¥77.2

151.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.82 ¥5.62

440.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.26 ¥1.77

688.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$3.53 ¥24.15

730.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.06 ¥7.23

78.30%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$17.9K ¥122.5K

116.67%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$16.5K ¥112.7K

96.61%

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

$189 €161

$51.8 ¥355

264.14%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$6.24 ¥42.71

255.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$9.89 ¥67.8

272.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$62.7 ¥429

-7.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$7.59 ¥52.0

176.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.94 ¥33.82

123.68%

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

$726 €622

$413 ¥2,828

75.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,426 ¥57.7K

80.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$27.40 ¥188

222.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.53 ¥209

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$55.9 ¥383

83.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$48.57 ¥333

145.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$127 ¥868

1104.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$190 ¥1,302

540.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$246 ¥1,686

1035.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$139 ¥952

1359.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,056 ¥20.9K

132.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,002 ¥13.7K

142.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$438 ¥3,002

448.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Benxi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $127 in Benxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 449% 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 $21.00 in Benxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $167 per month, with Benxi 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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Benxi differ by about 257% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $656 including rent). Benxi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 449% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $127 in Benxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $413 in Benxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $656 in Benxi versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benxi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Benxi 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 Benxi 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 Benxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.