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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $824 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,172 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,520 in Haikou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 200% more expensive than in Haikou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Haikou is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.49 ¥30.05

317.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$15.14 ¥101

358.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.82 ¥38.95

136.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.41 ¥16.17

28.63%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.86 ¥5.74

229.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.34 ¥2.27

452.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.46 ¥9.79

172.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.64 ¥17.71

71.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.07 ¥13.83

-38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.48 ¥9.88

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.68 ¥4.56

158.82%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.35 ¥9.04

280.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.78 ¥25.34

155.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.36 ¥103

31.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.70 ¥11.38

91.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.88 ¥5.87

153.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.13 ¥7.60

130.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.88 ¥5.86

213.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.86 ¥5.79

156.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.76 ¥5.06

178.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.43 ¥2.87

260.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 ¥3.76

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.20 ¥21.44

129.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.99 ¥60.2

-10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.57 ¥3.83

170.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.18 ¥7.90

136.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.87 ¥5.85

257.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$53.8 ¥361

-51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.20 ¥14.74

48.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.43 ¥2.91

244.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.21 ¥8.08

42.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

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

$30.5K €26.6K

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

$187 €163

$36.32 ¥243

415.09%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$13.55 ¥90.7

11.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$13.65 ¥91.5

176.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$45.71 ¥306

22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$6.37 ¥42.65

168.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.51 ¥30.18

152.99%

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

$997 €869

$868 ¥5,811

14.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

-14.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$26.56 ¥178

248.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$35.29 ¥236

16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$45.58 ¥305

143.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$38.53 ¥258

224.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$366 ¥2,449

366.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$295 ¥1,977

335.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$572 ¥3,830

348.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$365 ¥2,447

431.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,219 ¥21.6K

137.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,144 ¥14.4K

140.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$705 ¥4,721

233.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.85

-17.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Haikou: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $366 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 233% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $167 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 200% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $824 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $366 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $868 in Haikou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Haikou versus $2,476 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 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.