Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $754 in Rizhao versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,190 in Rizhao versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,625 in Rizhao versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Rizhao costs roughly 68% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rizhao is 44% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.25 ยฅ22.18
$17.64 โ‚ฌ15.01
-81.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.27 ยฅ125
$68.1 โ‚ฌ58.0
-73.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.58 ยฅ31.29
$13.96 โ‚ฌ11.88
-67.19%
Cappuccino
$1.77 ยฅ12.09
$2.76 โ‚ฌ2.35
-35.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ยฅ3.22
$2.76 โ‚ฌ2.35
-82.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 ยฅ1.51
$1.97 โ‚ฌ1.67
-88.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.86 ยฅ5.85
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
-81.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 ยฅ14.17
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
-54.08%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 ยฅ11.63
$1.24 โ‚ฌ1.05
37.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ยฅ10.02
$2.04 โ‚ฌ1.73
-27.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.41 ยฅ2.78
$1.91 โ‚ฌ1.63
-78.53%
Eggs
$1.83 ยฅ12.48
$3.39 โ‚ฌ2.89
-46.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 ยฅ103
$18.34 โ‚ฌ15.60
-17.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 ยฅ28.17
$9.39 โ‚ฌ7.99
-56.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.18 ยฅ69.6
$18.90 โ‚ฌ16.08
-46.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.33 ยฅ9.05
$2.63 โ‚ฌ2.23
-49.43%
Banana (1kg)
$0.93 ยฅ6.33
$2.40 โ‚ฌ2.04
-61.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.72 ยฅ4.92
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.80
-66.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ยฅ6.95
$2.70 โ‚ฌ2.30
-62.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 ยฅ4.84
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.75
-65.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 ยฅ7.69
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.52
-36.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 ยฅ6.33
$1.47 โ‚ฌ1.25
-36.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ยฅ3.24
$0.91 โ‚ฌ0.77
-48.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.92 ยฅ26.77
$7.01 โ‚ฌ5.97
-44.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.06 ยฅ68.7
$7.59 โ‚ฌ6.46
32.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ยฅ6.85
$1.44 โ‚ฌ1.22
-30.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 ยฅ10.35
$2.32 โ‚ฌ1.97
-34.48%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 ยฅ1.83
$2.94 โ‚ฌ2.50
-90.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.89 ยฅ115
$29.38 โ‚ฌ25.00
-42.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.09 ยฅ7.42
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
-75.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 ยฅ2.15
$2.14 โ‚ฌ1.82
-85.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.20 ยฅ49.15
$28.97 โ‚ฌ24.65
-75.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ยฅ7.79
$1.89 โ‚ฌ1.61
-39.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ยฅ139.8K
$39.0K โ‚ฌ33.2K
-47.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$13.4K ยฅ91.2K
$32.4K โ‚ฌ27.6K
-58.84%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.8 ยฅ347
$189 โ‚ฌ161
-73.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.02 ยฅ75.3
$22.24 โ‚ฌ18.92
-50.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.59 ยฅ72.4
$36.57 โ‚ฌ31.12
-71.04%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.52 ยฅ284
$58.0 โ‚ฌ49.38
-28.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.83 ยฅ94.5
$21.30 โ‚ฌ18.13
-35.07%
Cinema Ticket
$6.85 ยฅ46.77
$11.01 โ‚ฌ9.37
-37.78%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$334 ยฅ2,284
$731 โ‚ฌ622
-54.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K ยฅ116.1K
$14.8K โ‚ฌ12.6K
14.63%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.4 ยฅ522
$89.3 โ‚ฌ76.0
-14.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.66 ยฅ257
$37.38 โ‚ฌ31.81
0.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.6 ยฅ551
$105 โ‚ฌ89.0
-22.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 ยฅ699
$116 โ‚ฌ99.0
-12.06%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$283 ยฅ1,935
$1,551 โ‚ฌ1,320
-81.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 ยฅ1,299
$1,216 โ‚ฌ1,035
-84.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 ยฅ4,057
$2,799 โ‚ฌ2,382
-78.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 ยฅ2,495
$2,008 โ‚ฌ1,709
-81.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,365 ยฅ23.0K
$7,161 โ‚ฌ6,094
-53.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,706 ยฅ11.7K
$5,021 โ‚ฌ4,273
-66.02%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Rizhao
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,462 โ‚ฌ2,095
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
3.39
12.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rizhao: April 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Rizhao and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Rizhao vs $68 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $316 per month, with Rizhao 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
Rizhao vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rizhao and Barcelona?
Rizhao and Barcelona differ by about 213% in total monthly costs ($754 vs $2,356 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Rizhao compared to Barcelona?
You'd need roughly $1,131 in Rizhao and $3,534 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Rizhao and Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Rizhao versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rizhao and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $334 in Rizhao versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $754 in Rizhao versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rizhao and Barcelona?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Rizhao or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rizhao and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Rizhao or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Rizhao gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 213% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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