Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changchun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changchun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $721 in Changchun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Changchun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,503 in Changchun.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 228% more expensive than Changchun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Changchun is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.72 ¥18.38

546.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$20.09 ¥136

240.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.76 ¥32.21

195.38%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.67 ¥18.04

4.12%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.46 ¥3.09

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.86 ¥5.80

418.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.04 ¥13.80

125.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.94 ¥13.12

-36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.23 ¥8.31

65.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.21 ¥8.20

58.68%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.06 ¥7.20

212.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.07 ¥88.4

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.51 ¥23.70

170.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$8.61 ¥58.2

122.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.45 ¥9.79

82.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.06 ¥7.14

131.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.83 ¥5.58

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.35 ¥9.15

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.68 ¥4.57

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.62 ¥4.16

198.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.44 ¥2.98

234.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.15 ¥21.31

126.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$12.02 ¥81.3

-34.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.72 ¥4.89

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.96 ¥6.49

140.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 ¥1.99

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$16.85 ¥114

73.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.09 ¥7.34

322.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.75

696.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$3.29 ¥22.25

786.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.67

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.3K ¥123.9K

112.93%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

70.29%

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

$188 €162

$41.43 ¥280

353.34%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$14.73 ¥99.6

55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$14.13 ¥95.6

159.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$42.61 ¥288

34.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$3.79 ¥25.60

446.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.95 ¥33.44

126.06%

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

$721 €620

$280 ¥1,891

157.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,289 ¥56.1K

81.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.97 ¥189

208.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$31.03 ¥210

19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.2 ¥495

39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$79.4 ¥537

46.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$275 ¥1,863

456.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$228 ¥1,539

436.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$599 ¥4,048

350.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$365 ¥2,466

451.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,804 ¥12.2K

300.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,125 ¥7,607

361.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$962 ¥6,504

145.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.27

-35.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Changchun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $275 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 145% 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 $20.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $188 per month, with Changchun 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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Changchun differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $721 including rent). Changchun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 145% 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 $275 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $280 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $721 in Changchun versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.