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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $754 in Rizhao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,190 in Rizhao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Rizhao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 213% more expensive than Rizhao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Rizhao is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$3.25 ¥22.18

442.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$18.27 ¥125

272.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.58 ¥31.29

204.80%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$1.77 ¥12.09

55.93%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.47 ¥3.22

487.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.22 ¥1.51

795.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$0.86 ¥5.85

426.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.08 ¥14.17

117.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.70 ¥11.63

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.47 ¥10.02

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.41 ¥2.78

365.85%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.83 ¥12.48

85.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$15.09 ¥103

21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$4.12 ¥28.17

127.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.18 ¥69.6

85.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.33 ¥9.05

97.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$0.93 ¥6.33

158.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$0.72 ¥4.92

194.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.02 ¥6.95

164.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.71 ¥4.84

188.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.13 ¥7.69

57.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.93 ¥6.33

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.47 ¥3.24

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.92 ¥26.77

78.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.06 ¥68.7

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.00 ¥6.85

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.52 ¥10.35

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.27 ¥1.83

988.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$16.89 ¥115

73.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.09 ¥7.42

315.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.31 ¥2.15

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$7.20 ¥49.15

302.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.14 ¥7.79

65.79%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$20.5K ¥139.8K

90.73%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$13.4K ¥91.2K

142.96%

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

$189 €161

$50.8 ¥347

271.45%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$11.02 ¥75.3

101.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$10.59 ¥72.4

245.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.52 ¥284

39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$13.83 ¥94.5

54.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$6.85 ¥46.77

60.73%

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

$731 €622

$334 ¥2,284

118.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$17.0K ¥116.1K

-12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$76.4 ¥522

16.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$37.66 ¥257

-0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$80.6 ¥551

29.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$102 ¥699

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$283 ¥1,935

447.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$190 ¥1,299

539.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$594 ¥4,057

371.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$365 ¥2,495

449.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,365 ¥23.0K

112.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,706 ¥11.7K

194.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $283 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $18 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $199 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 213% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $754 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $1,131 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $283 in Rizhao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $334 in Rizhao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $754 in Rizhao versus $2,356 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 213% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.