Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Linyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Linyi: $589 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Linyi, China
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Linyi
🇨🇳 China
$589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Linyi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Linyi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $589 in Linyi.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Linyi $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $940 in Linyi.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Linyi $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,291 in Linyi.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Linyi $1,291

Living in Barcelona is roughly 316% more expensive than in Linyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Linyi is 57% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$2.34 ¥15.52
651.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$24.86 ¥165
171.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$4.81 ¥31.99
181.29%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$2.65 ¥17.59
20.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.47 ¥3.10
519.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.21 ¥1.39
800.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$0.91 ¥6.07
340.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$2.03 ¥13.46
123.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.51 ¥10.07
-13.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.45 ¥9.62
39.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$0.43 ¥2.84
330.23%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$1.06 ¥7.05
355.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$8.97 ¥59.6
86.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$1.81 ¥12.05
403.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$11.21 ¥74.5
75.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.14 ¥7.55
161.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.01 ¥6.73
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.01 ¥6.74
167.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$0.94 ¥6.24
197.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.44 ¥2.92
375.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.38 ¥2.54
444.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.57 ¥3.76
156.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.61 ¥4.09
54.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$4.48 ¥29.74
53.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$9.95 ¥66.1
-20.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.71 ¥4.74
98.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.33 ¥8.83
90.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.31 ¥2.06
912.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$1.03 ¥6.81
190.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.25 ¥1.66
496.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$4.44 ¥29.50
651.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.17 ¥7.75
53.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$16.5K ¥109.4K
101.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$15.1K ¥100.5K
109.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$72.2 ¥480
149.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$4.70 ¥31.20
194.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$5.05 ¥33.56
567.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$53.7 ¥356
-3.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$26.38 ¥175
-39.50%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$5.13 ¥34.07
114.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$213 ¥1,415
330.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$10.7K ¥71.0K
54.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$22.15 ¥147
292.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$22.68 ¥151
69.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$69.8 ¥464
51.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$70.8 ¥470
69.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$212 ¥1,407
702.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$116 ¥773
1064.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$499 ¥3,317
421.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$209 ¥1,390
886.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$1,501 ¥9,971
360.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$980 ¥6,510
423.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Linyi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$785 ¥5,215
181.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.13
4.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Linyi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Linyi
$116 91.4% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Linyi
$164 49.2% $158
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Linyi
$76 71.5% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Linyi
$82 64.1% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Linyi
$83 47.2% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Linyi
$64 13.1% $9.6
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Linyi
$3.5 * 92.8% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $212 in Linyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.8 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $25 in Linyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $164 per month, with Linyi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇳 Linyi
🕒 Local time
12:54 12:54 PM
19:54 7:54 PM
7 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
2,710,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Linyi 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Linyi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Linyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Linyi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $589 in Linyi, so Linyi is about 76% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Linyi?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Linyi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $212 in Linyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Linyi?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $213 in Linyi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Linyi – a meal for two runs $25 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
At $589 in Linyi versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $800 budget is realistic in Linyi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Linyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Linyi?
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.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Linyi?
It comes down to priorities – Linyi wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?