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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $632 in Yantai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $922 in Yantai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,212 in Yantai.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 293% more expensive than in Yantai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Yantai is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$2.91 ¥19.52

532.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$17.60 ¥118

294.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.52 ¥30.26

210.84%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.69 ¥18.01

15.61%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.53 ¥3.58

458.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.32 ¥2.16

509.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.12 ¥7.49

256.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.56 ¥17.16

80.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.00 ¥13.37

-34.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.42 ¥9.49

48.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.85 ¥5.66

115.29%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.34 ¥8.97

285.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$16.17 ¥108

8.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.28 ¥21.94

189.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$6.53 ¥43.76

205.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.37 ¥9.19

131.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.83 ¥5.58

166.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.06 ¥7.12

146.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.77 ¥5.13

270.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.73 ¥4.87

197.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.73 ¥4.88

189.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.58 ¥3.87

179.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.58 ¥3.88

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.68 ¥24.62

94.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.53 ¥77.2

-27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.72 ¥4.79

108.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.02 ¥6.84

169.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.23 ¥1.55

1265.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.30 ¥8.71

147.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.29 ¥1.93

420.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$6.53 ¥43.74

439.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.19 ¥7.99

47.06%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

87.65%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$16.3K ¥109.1K

94.40%

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

$187 €161

$44.38 ¥297

321.63%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$6.87 ¥46.04

119.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$6.02 ¥40.32

524.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$30.00 ¥201

84.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$7.56 ¥50.7

121.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$5.43 ¥36.40

115.65%

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

$1,011 €871

$357 ¥2,388

183.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.5K ¥110.2K

3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$17.62 ¥118

418.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$22.49 ¥151

82.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$91.4 ¥612

20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$90.4 ¥605

39.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$221 ¥1,478

672.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$148 ¥994

775.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$359 ¥2,406

620.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$149 ¥998

1195.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,965 ¥19.9K

160.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$5,163 ¥34.6K

4.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,034 ¥6,924

129.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.37

-6.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Yantai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $221 in Yantai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 130% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Yantai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $189 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 293% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $632 including rent). Yantai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 130% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $221 in Yantai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $357 in Yantai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yantai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $632 in Yantai versus $2,482 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 293% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.