Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yulin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yulin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $703 in Yulin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,120 in Yulin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,537 in Yulin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than Yulin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Yulin is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$2.82 ¥19.11

523.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$20.79 ¥141

229.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$4.97 ¥33.73

182.90%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.03 ¥20.52

-8.25%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.46 ¥3.12

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.29 ¥1.99

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$0.93 ¥6.30

379.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.11 ¥14.28

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.80 ¥12.19

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.54 ¥10.44

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$0.96 ¥6.50

100.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.64 ¥11.11

101.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.98

$13.09 ¥88.8

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.16 ¥21.46

200.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.61

$10.26 ¥69.6

86.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.81 ¥12.30

45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.26 ¥8.54

94.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.42 ¥9.63

49.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.09 ¥7.36

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.73 ¥4.94

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$0.98 ¥6.68

88.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.60 ¥4.09

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.71

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.19

$3.14 ¥21.33

127.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$11.22 ¥76.1

-29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.79 ¥5.37

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.65 ¥11.17

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.58

$0.27 ¥1.82

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.37

$16.61 ¥113

76.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.41 ¥9.60

226.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.36 ¥2.41

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.30

$6.52 ¥44.24

347.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.17 ¥7.92

57.26%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$19.4K ¥131.6K

101.13%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$16.6K ¥112.4K

97.39%

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

$188 €163

$44.91 ¥305

318.21%

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

$22.93 €19.89

$9.54 ¥64.7

140.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.84

$11.62 ¥78.8

215.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.76

$41.85 ¥284

37.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$13.80 ¥93.6

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$6.33 ¥42.95

76.78%

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

$721 €625

$332 ¥2,252

117.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

-11.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$42.82 ¥290

101.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.15

$30.00 ¥203

23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$71.5 ¥485

42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$74.6 ¥506

55.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$282 ¥1,911

444.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,058

$191 ¥1,294

539.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$601 ¥4,079

348.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$354 ¥2,398

469.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,261

$3,190 ¥21.6K

126.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,500

$1,769 ¥12.0K

193.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,046

$602 ¥4,080

292.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yulin: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $282 in Yulin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 292% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Yulin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $200 per month, with Yulin 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 Yulin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yulin differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $703 including rent). Yulin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 292% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $282 in Yulin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $332 in Yulin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $703 in Yulin versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yulin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yulin 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 Yulin 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 Yulin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.