Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaifeng Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaifeng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $696 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,512 in Kaifeng.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 236% more expensive than Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kaifeng is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.71 ¥18.34

530.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$13.87 ¥93.8

399.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.35 ¥29.40

216.78%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.09 ¥14.16

32.06%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.44 ¥2.97

534.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.22 ¥1.49

804.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.09 ¥7.38

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.05 ¥13.88

131.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.84 ¥12.43

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.59 ¥10.72

28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.84 ¥5.65

136.90%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.55 ¥10.51

118.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.00 ¥87.9

44.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.23 ¥21.85

189.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.32 ¥69.8

85.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.80 ¥12.19

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.26 ¥8.54

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.60 ¥4.07

253.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.09 ¥7.35

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.72 ¥4.87

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.97 ¥6.55

85.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.61 ¥4.10

137.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.54 ¥3.65

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.18 ¥21.52

113.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.89 ¥101

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.75 ¥5.05

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.66 ¥11.25

42.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.27 ¥1.81

981.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$16.86 ¥114

70.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.37 ¥9.26

225.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.35 ¥2.39

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.56 ¥44.35

350.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.12 ¥7.57

62.50%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$19.7K ¥133.2K

97.17%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$16.7K ¥113.0K

98.00%

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

$189 €163

$45.40 ¥307

316.81%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.67 ¥65.4

135.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$11.33 ¥76.6

231.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$42.07 ¥284

37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.13 ¥95.6

46.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.33 ¥42.79

70.93%

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

$728 €628

$334 ¥2,259

118.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$16.9K ¥114.5K

-12.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$42.69 ¥289

107.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$30.60 ¥207

20.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$70.3 ¥475

45.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$74.9 ¥507

54.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$278 ¥1,877

465.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$186 ¥1,260

553.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$589 ¥3,981

374.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$358 ¥2,422

451.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$574 ¥3,879

308.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $278 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 309% 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 $14.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $204 per month, with Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kaifeng differ by about 236% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $696 including rent). Kaifeng is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 309% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $278 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $334 in Kaifeng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Kaifeng versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.