Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dongying Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dongying

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $712 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,118 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Dongying.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 229% more expensive than Dongying, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.75 ¥18.87

540.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$21.78 ¥149

215.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.01 ¥34.35

174.45%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.93 ¥20.08

-5.80%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.46 ¥3.18

504.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 ¥1.85

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$0.95 ¥6.53

385.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.05 ¥14.04

123.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.88 ¥12.88

-31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.56 ¥10.67

35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.96 ¥6.58

105.21%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.55 ¥10.62

121.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$13.04 ¥89.3

44.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.25 ¥22.26

190.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.11 ¥69.3

88.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.81 ¥12.37

50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.20 ¥8.22

97.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.53 ¥10.46

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.14 ¥7.81

142.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.74 ¥5.04

166.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.95 ¥6.50

88.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.56 ¥3.85

169.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.51 ¥3.50

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.18 ¥21.79

112.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.41 ¥71.3

-27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.76 ¥5.19

89.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.64 ¥11.26

46.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.27 ¥1.83

1022.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$16.42 ¥112

72.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.43 ¥9.79

209.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.35 ¥2.43

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.77 ¥46.41

333.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.13 ¥7.72

67.26%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$19.5K ¥133.8K

98.40%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$17.1K ¥117.4K

88.81%

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

$189 €161

$45.29 ¥310

316.41%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.97 ¥68.3

122.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$11.55 ¥79.1

218.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$42.33 ¥290

37.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$13.79 ¥94.5

52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.82 ¥39.84

89.86%

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

$726 €622

$336 ¥2,303

116.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$16.6K ¥113.4K

-8.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$44.25 ¥303

99.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.93 ¥212

19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$70.9 ¥486

44.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$70.6 ¥484

68.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$277 ¥1,898

450.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$195 ¥1,339

523.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$582 ¥3,987

380.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$362 ¥2,480

460.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,016 ¥20.7K

135.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,060 ¥14.1K

135.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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 27, 2026

Last update for Dongying: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $277 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $199 per month, with Dongying 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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dongying differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $712 including rent). Dongying is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,067 in Dongying 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $277 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $336 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 in Dongying versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying 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 Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.