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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $671 in Benxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $949 in Benxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,227 in Benxi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 248% more expensive than Benxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Benxi is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.74 ¥18.51

523.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$20.54 ¥139

237.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.85 ¥32.76

184.12%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.64 ¥17.88

4.55%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.45 ¥3.07

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.29 ¥1.96

586.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.72 ¥4.90

505.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.64 ¥11.06

189.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.71 ¥11.56

-24.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.13 ¥7.62

81.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.76 ¥5.14

161.84%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.10 ¥7.41

208.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.22 ¥62.4

104.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.78 ¥18.77

236.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$8.50 ¥57.5

124.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.45 ¥9.80

86.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.34 ¥9.04

74.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.50 ¥10.11

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.24 ¥8.38

129.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.54 ¥3.64

264.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.73 ¥11.69

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.17 ¥7.90

23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.64 ¥4.35

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.75 ¥18.56

146.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.95 ¥53.8

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.59 ¥3.97

135.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.89 ¥6.02

166.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.29 ¥1.98

906.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$11.29 ¥76.4

154.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.80 ¥5.44

457.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.28 ¥1.91

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$3.44 ¥23.27

759.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.11 ¥7.49

63.96%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$18.4K ¥124.6K

110.73%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

97.17%

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

$189 €163

$51.7 ¥349

266.37%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$6.41 ¥43.33

255.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$9.80 ¥66.3

283.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$62.3 ¥421

-7.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$7.72 ¥52.2

168.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.80 ¥32.49

125.42%

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

$728 €628

$413 ¥2,790

76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,483 ¥57.4K

74.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$27.71 ¥187

219.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$30.72 ¥208

19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$55.1 ¥373

85.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$49.47 ¥335

134.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$126 ¥850

1147.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$189 ¥1,277

545.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$239 ¥1,619

1067.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$138 ¥932

1333.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,164 ¥21.4K

145.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,797 ¥12.1K

188.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$440 ¥2,978

432.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Benxi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $126 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 $21.00 in Benxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $168 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 248% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $671 including rent). Benxi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 432% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $126 in Benxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 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 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Benxi versus $2,337 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 248% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.