Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rizhao Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rizhao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $743 in Rizhao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,172 in Rizhao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,601 in Rizhao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 212% more expensive than in Rizhao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Rizhao is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.11 ¥21.03

467.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.15 ¥123

283.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.57 ¥30.85

209.85%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.83 ¥12.38

53.01%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.51 ¥3.47

450.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.20 ¥1.35

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.81 ¥5.50

467.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.15 ¥14.49

118.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.65 ¥11.17

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.48 ¥9.98

37.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.43 ¥2.94

360.47%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.81 ¥12.26

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.66 ¥99.1

25.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.05 ¥27.36

142.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.33 ¥69.8

85.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.37 ¥9.26

99.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.01 ¥6.81

135.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.68 ¥4.56

205.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.02 ¥6.88

169.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.75 ¥5.04

161.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.13 ¥7.62

58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.94 ¥6.37

57.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.47 ¥3.21

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.93 ¥26.55

81.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.07 ¥68.1

-21.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 ¥6.72

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.57 ¥10.64

52.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.80

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.59 ¥112

76.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.08 ¥7.30

303.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.34 ¥2.32

526.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.11 ¥48.03

316.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.14 ¥7.71

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.3K ¥137.3K

86.51%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$13.6K ¥91.6K

138.83%

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

$189 €166

$51.2 ¥346

269.34%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$10.97 ¥74.1

103.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$10.39 ¥70.2

257.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$42.00 ¥284

38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.71 ¥92.6

50.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.92 ¥46.78

57.08%

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

$706 €618

$337 ¥2,280

109.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$17.2K ¥116.3K

-13.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$75.1 ¥508

19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$37.67 ¥255

-2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$81.0 ¥548

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$99.4 ¥672

20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$274 ¥1,853

475.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$187 ¥1,267

560.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$587 ¥3,968

361.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$366 ¥2,470

457.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,038 ¥20.5K

147.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,953 ¥13.2K

168.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.81

-11.02%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $274 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $198 per month, with Rizhao 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 Rizhao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rizhao differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $743 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,115 in Rizhao 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $274 in Rizhao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $337 in Rizhao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $743 in Rizhao versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao 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 Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.