Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yantai Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yantai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $734 in Yantai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,179 in Yantai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Yantai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 216% more expensive than in Yantai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yantai is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.29 ¥22.23

436.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.30 ¥124

280.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.47 ¥30.22

216.78%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.32 ¥22.46

-15.66%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.47 ¥3.19

497.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.29 ¥1.96

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.85 ¥5.75

441.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.04 ¥13.77

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.99 ¥13.43

-38.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.53 ¥10.34

32.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.69 ¥4.67

186.96%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.30 ¥8.81

168.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.62 ¥98.8

25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.27 ¥28.87

130.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.60 ¥51.4

151.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.38 ¥9.30

97.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.90 ¥6.06

164.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.24 ¥8.35

67.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.06 ¥7.13

159.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.70 ¥4.74

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.09 ¥7.36

64.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.64 ¥4.33

131.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.50 ¥3.38

82.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.91 ¥26.43

82.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$14.54 ¥98.2

-45.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.99 ¥6.70

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.59 ¥10.71

50.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.29 ¥1.98

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.48 ¥111

78.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.41 ¥9.50

209.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.22 ¥1.48

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.19 ¥41.80

378.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.11 ¥7.52

63.96%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.2K ¥136.6K

87.50%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$13.3K ¥89.9K

143.45%

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

$189 €166

$51.8 ¥350

264.99%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$10.66 ¥72.1

109.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$10.63 ¥71.8

249.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$27.36 ¥185

112.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$7.09 ¥47.94

191.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.01 ¥33.83

116.97%

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

$706 €618

$329 ¥2,225

114.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$24.1K ¥162.6K

-38.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$77.3 ¥522

15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$38.40 ¥259

-4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$81.4 ¥550

27.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$99.4 ¥672

20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$137 ¥923

1055.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$189 ¥1,278

554.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$384 ¥2,596

606.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$353 ¥2,388

477.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,157 ¥21.3K

138.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$6,409 ¥43.3K

-18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,117 ¥7,548

111.63%

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 Yantai: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $137 in Yantai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 112% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Yantai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $204 per month, with Yantai 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 Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yantai differ by about 216% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $734 including rent). Yantai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $137 in Yantai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $329 in Yantai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Yantai versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yantai but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yantai 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 Yantai 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 Yantai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.