Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cixi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cixi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $708 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,144 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,580 in Cixi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 233% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cixi is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$2.77 ¥18.93

536.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$21.67 ¥148

214.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.80 ¥32.77

190.83%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.00 ¥20.50

-8.00%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.44 ¥2.99

527.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.29 ¥1.99

579.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$0.94 ¥6.44

381.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.11 ¥14.40

114.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.79 ¥12.26

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.53 ¥10.48

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.89 ¥6.08

114.61%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.55 ¥10.58

118.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$13.02 ¥88.9

40.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$3.09 ¥21.14

203.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.32 ¥70.5

83.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.86 ¥12.73

41.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.24 ¥8.47

93.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.48 ¥10.14

43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.14 ¥7.82

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.70 ¥4.75

192.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.97 ¥6.59

83.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.60 ¥4.09

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.70

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.14 ¥21.45

123.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.58 ¥72.3

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.80 ¥5.46

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.59 ¥10.85

45.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.27 ¥1.82

988.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$16.49 ¥113

78.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.42 ¥9.70

219.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.35 ¥2.42

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.70 ¥45.73

332.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.18 ¥8.04

60.17%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$19.2K ¥131.1K

103.44%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$17.3K ¥118.1K

87.54%

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

$189 €161

$44.62 ¥305

323.15%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$10.05 ¥68.7

121.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$11.74 ¥80.2

211.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.66 ¥285

39.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$14.14 ¥96.6

50.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$5.76 ¥39.31

91.15%

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

$731 €622

$340 ¥2,322

115.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$16.5K ¥112.6K

-10.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$44.48 ¥304

100.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$29.95 ¥205

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$71.6 ¥489

46.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$71.9 ¥491

61.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$279 ¥1,905

456.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$196 ¥1,340

519.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$591 ¥4,036

373.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$353 ¥2,412

468.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,062 ¥20.9K

133.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,021 ¥13.8K

148.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.89

-12.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cixi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $279 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $22 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $198 per month, with Cixi 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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cixi differ by about 233% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $708 including rent). Cixi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $1,062 in Cixi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $279 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $340 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Cixi versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi 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 Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.