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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $673 in Changde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,069 in Changde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,465 in Changde.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 250% more expensive than Changde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Changde is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$2.06 ¥14.06

756.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$16.85 ¥115

304.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$4.79 ¥32.69

191.44%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$2.22 ¥15.18

24.32%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$0.40 ¥2.73

590.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.27 ¥1.86

629.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.09 ¥7.42

315.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.91 ¥13.07

137.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.93 ¥13.17

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.69 ¥11.57

20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$0.73 ¥4.98

161.64%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$1.68 ¥11.48

101.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$15.80 ¥108

16.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$3.13 ¥21.36

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$9.19 ¥62.8

105.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.61 ¥11.00

63.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.08 ¥7.37

122.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.05 ¥7.17

101.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$0.82 ¥5.59

229.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.58 ¥3.93

253.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$0.71 ¥4.86

150.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.34 ¥2.32

332.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.40 ¥2.73

127.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$2.77 ¥18.94

153.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$12.32 ¥84.1

-38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.89 ¥6.06

61.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$0.67 ¥4.57

246.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.29 ¥1.98

913.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$16.82 ¥115

74.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.05 ¥7.20

331.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$0.28 ¥1.92

664.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$8.28 ¥56.6

249.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.18 ¥8.03

60.17%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$20.8K ¥141.8K

88.05%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$21.7K ¥148.3K

49.37%

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

$189 €160

$42.91 ¥293

340.01%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$12.54 ¥85.6

77.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$14.41 ¥98.4

153.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$42.27 ¥289

37.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

$14.17 ¥96.8

50.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$4.15 ¥28.35

165.30%

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

$731 €621

$184 ¥1,257

297.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$7,252 ¥49.5K

104.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$27.32 ¥187

226.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$28.02 ¥191

33.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$83.0 ¥567

26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$41.70 ¥285

178.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$280 ¥1,910

454.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$190 ¥1,298

539.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$583 ¥3,982

380.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$363 ¥2,479

453.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

$3,055 ¥20.9K

134.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

$1,886 ¥12.9K

166.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Changde: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $280 in Changde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $17 in Changde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $199 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 250% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $673 including rent). Changde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $1,009 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $280 in Changde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 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 $673 in Changde versus $2,356 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 250% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.