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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $725 in Yiwu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,351 in Yiwu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,978 in Yiwu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 220% more expensive than in Yiwu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yiwu is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.72 ¥18.40

549.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$36.48 ¥246

90.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.63 ¥38.06

151.51%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.56 ¥24.03

-21.35%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.53 ¥3.61

430.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.32 ¥2.18

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.42 ¥9.61

223.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.82 ¥19.06

66.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.86 ¥12.56

-33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.79 ¥12.06

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.84 ¥5.71

135.71%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.68 ¥11.35

107.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$15.70 ¥106

16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.19 ¥21.53

208.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.52 ¥71.1

81.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.63 ¥10.99

67.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.40 ¥9.48

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.37 ¥9.27

51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.09 ¥7.34

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.54 ¥3.64

262.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.80 ¥5.41

123.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.17 ¥1.12

770.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 ¥4.11

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.82 ¥19.07

152.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.99 ¥81.0

-34.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.40 ¥2.70

245.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.07 ¥7.23

123.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.44 ¥2.96

584.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.76 ¥113

75.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.08 ¥7.32

303.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.23 ¥1.56

826.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.16 ¥55.2

262.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.09 ¥7.38

66.97%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$19.4K ¥131.0K

95.39%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$18.0K ¥121.8K

79.63%

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

$189 €166

$51.5 ¥348

267.12%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.53 ¥57.6

161.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$13.73 ¥92.8

170.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$14.15 ¥95.6

310.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$10.38 ¥70.2

99.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.73 ¥45.49

61.52%

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

$706 €618

$337 ¥2,277

109.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$32.0K ¥216.3K

-53.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$55.3 ¥374

61.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.48 ¥233

6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.7 ¥525

33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$70.6 ¥477

69.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$410 ¥2,771

284.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$185 ¥1,251

568.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$988 ¥6,675

174.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$685 ¥4,631

197.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$11.6K ¥78.2K

-35.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,900 ¥19.6K

80.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$578 ¥3,908

308.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.58

-5.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $410 in Yiwu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 309% 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 $36.00 in Yiwu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 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 220% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $725 including rent). Yiwu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 309% 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 $410 in Yiwu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $337 in Yiwu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Yiwu versus $2,320 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 220% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.