Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Anqing: $655 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Anqing, China
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Anqing
🇨🇳 China
$655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Anqing

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Anqing actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $655 in Anqing, rent included.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Anqing $655

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $1,022 in Anqing, rent included.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Anqing $1,022

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $1,389 in Anqing, rent included.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Anqing $1,389

Barcelona costs about 274% more than Anqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Barcelona sits 80% above the global median, while Anqing is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$2.58 ¥17.16
581.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$20.16 ¥134
234.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$6.06 ¥40.34
123.27%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$2.26 ¥15.05
41.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.46 ¥3.09
532.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.23 ¥1.54
721.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$1.07 ¥7.12
274.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$1.37 ¥9.12
230.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.95 ¥6.31
37.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.48 ¥9.81
36.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.01 ¥6.74
83.17%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$0.92 ¥6.10
425.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$13.32 ¥88.6
25.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$3.48 ¥23.13
162.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$11.72 ¥78.0
67.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.42 ¥16.13
23.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.32 ¥8.78
53.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.51 ¥10.05
78.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$1.14 ¥7.62
145.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.81 ¥5.41
158.02%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.94 ¥6.28
120.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.35 ¥2.36
317.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.35 ¥2.35
168.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$4.77 ¥31.76
44.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$12.04 ¥80.1
-34.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.93 ¥6.20
51.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.46 ¥9.71
73.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$0.93 ¥6.21
221.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.26 ¥1.74
473.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$2.96 ¥19.70
1027.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.21 ¥8.08
48.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$19.7K ¥130.9K
68.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$18.0K ¥120.0K
75.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$66.8 ¥444
170.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$8.61 ¥57.3
60.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$9.02 ¥60.0
273.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$74.5 ¥496
-30.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$14.93 ¥99.4
6.90%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$5.32 ¥35.42
106.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$225 ¥1,494
308.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$10.6K ¥70.6K
55.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$25.47 ¥169
241.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$20.78 ¥138
85.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$80.5 ¥536
31.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$34.25 ¥228
249.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$191 ¥1,273
788.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$137 ¥909
892.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$353 ¥2,350
637.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$241 ¥1,603
756.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$13.1K ¥87.1K
-47.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$6,411 ¥42.7K
-20.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Anqing
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$790 ¥5,254
179.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3
9.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Anqing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Anqing
$137 89.9% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Anqing
$198 38.5% $124
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Anqing
$77 71.3% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Anqing
$84 63% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Anqing
$72 54.1% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Anqing
$85 15.8% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Anqing
$2.2 * 95.4% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $191 in Anqing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Barcelona are about 2.8 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $20 in Anqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $198 – making Anqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇳 Anqing
🕒 Local time
01:46 1:46 AM
08:46 8:46 AM
7 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
4,165,284
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Anqing 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Anqing

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Anqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Barcelona and in Anqing compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona, $655 in Anqing – Anqing comes out roughly 73% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Anqing?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $983 in Anqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Barcelona and Anqing?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Anqing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona and $20 in Anqing. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 63% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Anqing, where all-in costs run around $655, than in Barcelona at $2,453. In Anqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Barcelona or Anqing?
Families tend to lean toward Anqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Anqing?
If budget matters most, go with Anqing. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?