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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $748 in Rizhao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,178 in Rizhao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,608 in Rizhao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 217% more expensive than Rizhao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Rizhao is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.12 ¥21.14

463.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.14 ¥123

277.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.64 ¥31.41

203.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.84 ¥12.46

51.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.50 ¥3.42

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.20 ¥1.35

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.86 ¥5.83

418.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.10 ¥14.23

119.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.65 ¥11.18

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.52 ¥10.29

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.40 ¥2.73

380.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.80 ¥12.19

83.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.84 ¥101

24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.17 ¥28.26

127.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$10.16 ¥68.8

88.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.32 ¥8.96

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.93 ¥6.32

163.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.73 ¥4.92

190.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.04 ¥7.04

174.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.73 ¥4.95

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.13 ¥7.65

63.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.96 ¥6.50

53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.50 ¥3.39

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.99 ¥27.05

78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.19 ¥69.0

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.05 ¥7.08

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.54 ¥10.42

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.83

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.74 ¥113

74.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.14 ¥7.72

303.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.32 ¥2.14

546.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$7.12 ¥48.24

309.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.64

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.8K ¥133.8K

97.48%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$13.6K ¥91.8K

141.30%

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

$188 €162

$52.1 ¥353

260.43%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$10.88 ¥73.7

110.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$10.49 ¥71.1

249.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$42.29 ¥286

35.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.78 ¥93.3

50.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.82 ¥46.16

64.08%

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

$721 €621

$336 ¥2,274

114.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$17.2K ¥116.3K

-12.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$77.1 ¥522

11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$38.02 ¥257

-2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.8 ¥547

26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$101 ¥682

15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$279 ¥1,889

449.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$190 ¥1,285

543.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$589 ¥3,989

357.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$365 ¥2,472

451.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,142 ¥21.3K

129.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,508 ¥10.2K

244.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $279 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $200 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 217% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $748 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,121 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $279 in Rizhao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $336 in Rizhao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $748 in Rizhao versus $2,367 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 217% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.