Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yiwu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yiwu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $539 in Yiwu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,281 in Yiwu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,023 in Yiwu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 359% more expensive than in Yiwu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Yiwu is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.76 ¥18.46

578.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$30.08 ¥202

130.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.32 ¥35.64

158.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.28 ¥21.95

-5.49%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.56 ¥3.76

405.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.39 ¥2.59

382.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.21 ¥8.09

228.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.70 ¥18.10

67.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.91 ¥12.76

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.91 ¥12.82

13.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.02 ¥6.86

72.55%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.57 ¥10.51

226.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$17.56 ¥118

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.30 ¥22.07

192.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.41 ¥89.8

50.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.09 ¥13.97

55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.82 ¥12.17

22.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.99 ¥13.30

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.63 ¥10.89

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.77 ¥5.13

187.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.98 ¥6.58

116.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.62 ¥4.15

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.65 ¥4.37

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.82 ¥25.61

92.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.23 ¥68.5

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.94 ¥6.32

63.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.64 ¥11.01

70.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.43 ¥2.86

623.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.37 ¥9.15

138.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.46 ¥3.11

221.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$8.87 ¥59.4

286.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.22 ¥8.20

41.80%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.6K ¥131.5K

85.19%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.3K ¥122.4K

67.18%

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

$187 €163

$58.6 ¥392

219.25%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$8.68 ¥58.2

74.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$10.04 ¥67.2

275.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$14.92 ¥99.9

274.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$11.14 ¥74.6

53.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.14 ¥47.82

59.80%

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

$997 €869

$1,377 ¥9,223

-27.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$28.2K ¥188.7K

-41.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$50.6 ¥339

83.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$37.11 ¥249

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$75.9 ¥508

46.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$74.6 ¥499

67.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$448 ¥3,002

280.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,045 ¥7,002

145.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$734 ¥4,916

164.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$11.8K ¥78.9K

-35.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,928 ¥19.6K

76.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$584 ¥3,914

301.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.38

-6.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $448 in Yiwu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 302% 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 $30.00 in Yiwu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $238 per month, with Yiwu 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 Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yiwu differ by about 359% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $539 including rent). Yiwu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 302% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $448 in Yiwu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,377 in Yiwu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yiwu – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $539 in Yiwu versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yiwu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yiwu 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 Yiwu 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 Yiwu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 359% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.