Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $816 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,276 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,737 in Dalian.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 190% more expensive than Dalian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dalian is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.46 ¥23.38

408.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.17 ¥163

183.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.97 ¥33.63

182.90%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.00 ¥20.25

-7.33%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.48 ¥3.24

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.24 ¥1.61

758.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.86 ¥5.80

418.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.50 ¥10.14

207.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.64 ¥11.12

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.46 ¥9.89

39.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.90 ¥6.11

113.33%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.94 ¥13.11

70.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$19.15 ¥130

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$2.71 ¥18.31

250.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.39 ¥70.3

84.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.28 ¥8.67

106.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.11 ¥7.50

120.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.27 ¥8.61

66.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.75 ¥5.09

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.71 ¥4.83

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.77 ¥5.17

140.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.69 ¥4.67

113.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 ¥3.82

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.57 ¥24.17

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$17.59 ¥119

-55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.85 ¥5.73

62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.48 ¥9.98

56.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 ¥1.98

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$28.07 ¥190

4.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.36 ¥9.22

238.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.40 ¥2.68

417.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$3.93 ¥26.60

642.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.17 ¥7.92

57.26%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$17.9K ¥121.0K

118.05%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$16.3K ¥110.4K

100.24%

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

$188 €162

$44.59 ¥301

321.22%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$9.51 ¥64.3

141.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$11.15 ¥75.4

229.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$36.39 ¥246

57.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$24.47 ¥165

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.56 ¥44.37

70.58%

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

$721 €620

$451 ¥3,049

59.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,593 ¥64.9K

56.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$56.0 ¥379

53.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$51.5 ¥348

-28.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$104 ¥705

-2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$95.0 ¥642

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$360 ¥2,436

325.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$205 ¥1,388

494.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$646 ¥4,366

317.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$370 ¥2,499

444.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,695 ¥18.2K

167.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,645 ¥11.1K

215.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,085 ¥7,340

117.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.18

-18.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dalian: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $360 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 117% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $222 per month, with Dalian 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dalian differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $816 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 117% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $360 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $451 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $816 in Dalian versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.