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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $675 in Benxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $982 in Benxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,289 in Benxi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 267% more expensive than in Benxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Benxi is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.92 ¥19.53

541.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$22.25 ¥149

212.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.27 ¥35.28

161.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.40 ¥16.11

29.17%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.46 ¥3.07

515.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 ¥1.93

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.75 ¥5.03

430.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.74 ¥11.66

160.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.83 ¥12.29

-30.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.16 ¥7.74

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.81 ¥5.41

117.28%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.58 ¥10.62

224.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.60 ¥64.3

86.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.96 ¥19.81

226.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$8.80 ¥59.0

128.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.69 ¥11.31

92.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.40 ¥9.41

59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.62 ¥10.85

60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.30 ¥8.73

112.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.61 ¥4.10

262.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.88 ¥12.60

12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.58 ¥3.91

167.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.66 ¥4.39

43.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.96 ¥19.85

147.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.24 ¥55.2

-2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.59 ¥3.95

161.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.31 ¥8.76

112.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.91

972.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$11.97 ¥80.2

116.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.85 ¥5.71

284.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.29 ¥1.94

410.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.93 ¥19.61

1069.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.17 ¥7.81

47.86%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.0K ¥127.3K

91.40%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.0K ¥120.8K

69.31%

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

$187 €163

$54.7 ¥366

242.14%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$6.69 ¥44.80

126.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$10.44 ¥70.0

261.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$65.9 ¥441

-15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$8.12 ¥54.4

110.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.02 ¥40.32

89.53%

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

$997 €869

$449 ¥3,006

122.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,923 ¥59.8K

85.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$29.96 ¥201

209.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.34 ¥223

23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$60.4 ¥404

84.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$53.1 ¥356

135.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$134 ¥896

1176.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$184 ¥1,232

599.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$260 ¥1,743

885.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$149 ¥997

1204.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,744 ¥18.4K

178.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,968 ¥13.2K

162.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$441 ¥2,957

432.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-21.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Benxi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $134 in Benxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 432% 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 $22.00 in Benxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $177 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 267% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $675 including rent). Benxi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 432% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $134 in Benxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $449 in Benxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $675 in Benxi versus $2,476 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 267% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.