Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rui'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rui'an

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $701 in Rui'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Rui'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,563 in Rui'an.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than in Rui'an, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Rui'an is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$2.74 ¥18.38

586.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$21.58 ¥145

221.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$4.97 ¥33.38

183.30%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$3.05 ¥20.47

2.30%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.43 ¥2.89

576.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.29 ¥1.96

544.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$0.88 ¥5.89

354.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$2.06 ¥13.81

125.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.81 ¥12.16

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.59 ¥10.68

33.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$0.95 ¥6.38

93.68%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.60 ¥10.74

220.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$12.66 ¥85.1

29.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$3.10 ¥20.85

213.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$10.12 ¥68.0

94.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.85 ¥12.43

69.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.20 ¥8.09

81.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.53 ¥10.28

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$1.09 ¥7.34

154.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.71 ¥4.75

198.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.89 ¥6.01

150.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.59 ¥3.99

152.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.52 ¥3.49

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$3.20 ¥21.46

126.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$10.66 ¥71.6

-22.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.76 ¥5.10

102.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.59 ¥10.67

68.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.27 ¥1.79

1037.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$16.82 ¥113

54.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$1.37 ¥9.23

143.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.35 ¥2.38

437.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$6.48 ¥43.55

439.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.13 ¥7.56

53.98%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$19.5K ¥131.0K

87.20%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$17.1K ¥115.0K

84.01%

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

$183 €156

$45.74 ¥307

299.76%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$10.09 ¥67.8

55.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$11.56 ¥77.6

217.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$42.61 ¥286

25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$14.13 ¥94.9

21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$5.89 ¥39.59

95.42%

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

$952 €815

$333 ¥2,238

185.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$17.1K ¥114.7K

-5.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$44.59 ¥299

84.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$30.25 ¥203

33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$70.4 ¥473

53.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$72.2 ¥485

73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$274 ¥1,840

508.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$193 ¥1,298

566.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$589 ¥3,954

352.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$356 ¥2,388

435.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$3,077 ¥20.7K

144.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$2,048 ¥13.8K

152.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.89

-19.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Rui'an: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $274 in Rui'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Rui'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $197 per month, with Rui'an 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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rui'an differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $701 including rent). Rui'an is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,651 in Barcelona and $1,052 in Rui'an 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $274 in Rui'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $333 in Rui'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $701 in Rui'an versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an 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 Rui'an 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 Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.