Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Haikou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Haikou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $785 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,194 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,603 in Haikou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 202% more expensive than Haikou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Haikou is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.44 ¥16.51

620.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.58 ¥166

178.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.06 ¥34.24

177.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.06 ¥20.71

-9.15%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.46 ¥3.08

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.33 ¥2.26

524.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.36 ¥9.22

227.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.72 ¥25.18

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.79 ¥12.07

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.37 ¥9.25

48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.82 ¥5.54

134.15%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.86 ¥12.60

77.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$12.66 ¥85.6

45.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.70 ¥38.57

66.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$15.45 ¥104

24.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.81 ¥5.48

225.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.93 ¥6.26

163.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.43 ¥2.91

393.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.93 ¥6.29

206.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.78 ¥5.25

161.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.71 ¥4.83

160.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.29 ¥1.96

406.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 ¥3.53

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.00 ¥20.27

138.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.39 ¥77.0

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.80 ¥5.42

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.65 ¥11.17

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 ¥1.96

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$16.58 ¥112

76.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.87 ¥19.40

60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.36 ¥2.41

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.53 ¥44.17

346.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.61

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.4K ¥138.2K

90.92%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$16.2K ¥109.4K

102.15%

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

$188 €162

$33.79 ¥228

455.84%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.85 ¥93.6

65.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$8.11 ¥54.9

352.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$32.15 ¥217

78.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$5.80 ¥39.25

256.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.46 ¥36.92

104.95%

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

$721 €620

$333 ¥2,251

116.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$27.9K ¥188.6K

-46.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.58 ¥281

107.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$41.71 ¥282

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$42.57 ¥288

139.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$34.35 ¥232

237.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$343 ¥2,320

346.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$274 ¥1,855

344.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$533 ¥3,602

406.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$472 ¥3,191

326.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,212 ¥21.7K

124.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,147 ¥14.5K

141.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$717 ¥4,851

228.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.85

-30.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Haikou: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $343 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 229% 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 $25.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $212 per month, with Haikou 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Haikou differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $785 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 229% 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 $343 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $333 in Haikou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Haikou versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou 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 Haikou 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 Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.