Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changde Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $689 in Changde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,067 in Changde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,445 in Changde.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Changde is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.15 ¥14.52

721.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$16.86 ¥114

313.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.89 ¥33.01

189.57%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.20 ¥14.85

27.27%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.41 ¥2.74

585.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 ¥1.83

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.13 ¥7.62

307.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.91 ¥12.92

145.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.92 ¥12.96

-35.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.79 ¥12.08

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.72 ¥4.85

175.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.59 ¥10.76

119.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$16.13 ¥109

13.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.11 ¥21.04

216.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.95 ¥60.5

113.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.64 ¥11.06

66.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.14 ¥7.69

108.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.07 ¥7.22

94.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.80 ¥5.40

243.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.55 ¥3.70

256.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.67 ¥4.55

167.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 ¥2.45

311.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.42 ¥2.84

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.77 ¥18.74

157.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.63 ¥85.3

-37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.90 ¥6.06

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$0.72 ¥4.85

231.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.29 ¥1.98

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.94 ¥115

73.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.02 ¥6.87

327.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.26 ¥1.74

719.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.31 ¥56.2

256.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.12 ¥7.55

62.50%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.5K ¥138.5K

84.92%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.6K ¥146.0K

49.88%

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

$189 €166

$43.63 ¥295

333.26%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$12.54 ¥84.8

77.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$14.69 ¥99.3

152.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.05 ¥277

41.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.68 ¥92.4

51.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.31 ¥29.09

152.20%

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

$706 €618

$184 ¥1,242

284.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,521 ¥50.8K

97.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$28.23 ¥191

216.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$28.14 ¥190

30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$80.9 ¥546

28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$41.64 ¥281

186.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$280 ¥1,892

463.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$189 ¥1,274

556.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$581 ¥3,923

367.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$357 ¥2,415

470.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,368 ¥22.8K

123.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,886 ¥12.7K

177.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.89

-12.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Changde: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $280 in Changde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Changde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $201 per month, with Changde 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 Changde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Changde differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $689 including rent). Changde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,034 in Changde 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $280 in Changde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $184 in Changde. 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 $689 in Changde versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Changde but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Changde 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 Changde 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 Changde 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.