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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $727 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,151 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,576 in Dongying.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 225% more expensive than in Dongying, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dongying is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.75 ¥18.57

523.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$21.87 ¥148

211.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.01 ¥33.85

172.26%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.99 ¥20.21

-7.02%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.43 ¥2.92

555.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.29 ¥1.98

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.88 ¥5.97

403.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.05 ¥13.82

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.78 ¥11.99

-28.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.54 ¥10.40

38.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.96 ¥6.46

107.29%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.55 ¥10.43

117.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.88 ¥87.0

47.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.21 ¥21.70

196.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.38 ¥70.1

80.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.81 ¥12.22

46.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.20 ¥8.07

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.55 ¥10.44

34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.13 ¥7.63

141.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.75 ¥5.08

161.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.92 ¥6.19

96.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.59 ¥4.01

155.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.51 ¥3.45

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.22 ¥21.75

110.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.40 ¥70.2

-23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.74 ¥5.01

85.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.58 ¥10.68

51.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.29 ¥1.98

903.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.82 ¥114

70.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.42 ¥9.61

222.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.32 ¥2.18

537.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.53 ¥44.08

339.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.64

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.7K ¥133.1K

99.39%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.5K ¥117.9K

85.99%

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

$187 €162

$45.70 ¥308

308.38%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.01 ¥67.6

122.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.64 ¥78.6

212.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.24 ¥278

39.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.20 ¥95.8

46.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.78 ¥39.04

86.33%

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

$725 €628

$339 ¥2,291

113.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$17.2K ¥115.8K

-11.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$44.47 ¥300

97.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$30.66 ¥207

20.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$71.6 ¥483

44.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$73.1 ¥493

62.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$275 ¥1,857

453.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$194 ¥1,311

531.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$602 ¥4,066

352.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$359 ¥2,421

453.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,996 ¥20.2K

149.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,030 ¥13.7K

158.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dongying: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $275 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $197 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 225% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $727 including rent). Dongying is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,090 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $275 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $339 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Dongying versus $2,359 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 225% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.