Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $632 in Anshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,013 in Anshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,394 in Anshan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 295% more expensive than in Anshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Anshan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.92 ¥19.57

529.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$18.73 ¥125

269.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.44 ¥29.76

218.24%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.45 ¥16.43

27.76%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.39 ¥2.60

674.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.23 ¥1.54

752.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.71 ¥4.73

463.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$1.67 ¥11.21

185.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.80 ¥12.06

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.25 ¥8.35

72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.36 ¥2.39

369.44%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.01 ¥6.75

388.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$9.00 ¥60.3

98.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$1.83 ¥12.28

425.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$8.95 ¥60.0

116.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.01 ¥6.80

220.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.20 ¥8.06

81.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.18 ¥7.90

126.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.22 ¥8.16

127.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.29 ¥1.93

662.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.91 ¥6.12

140.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.31 ¥2.09

390.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.43 ¥2.90

113.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.79 ¥25.41

87.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.24 ¥48.49

12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.71 ¥4.73

111.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.09 ¥7.33

155.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.94

986.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$17.86 ¥120

51.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.02 ¥6.84

218.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.14 ¥0.91

971.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$2.94 ¥19.71

1086.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.09 ¥7.28

60.55%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

91.24%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

105.26%

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

$188 €161

$29.95 ¥201

526.48%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$7.31 ¥49.00

111.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$14.91 ¥100.0

153.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$41.96 ¥281

36.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$14.55 ¥97.5

15.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$6.12 ¥41.04

89.22%

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

$1,003 €863

$223 ¥1,495

349.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$22.0K ¥147.2K

-22.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$37.50 ¥251

137.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$37.64 ¥252

8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$58.6 ¥392

87.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$70.3 ¥471

74.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$286 ¥1,916

485.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$182 ¥1,216

633.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$590 ¥3,954

339.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$377 ¥2,528

416.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,101 ¥20.8K

144.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,906 ¥12.8K

181.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$925 ¥6,200

159.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

58.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Anshan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $286 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 160% 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 $19.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $151 per month, with Anshan 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 Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 295% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 160% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $286 in Anshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,495 per month in Barcelona versus $632 in Anshan – a 295% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $632 in Anshan versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Anshan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Anshan 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 Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 295% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.