Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changsha Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changsha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $767 in Changsha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,219 in Changsha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,671 in Changsha.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 208% more expensive than in Changsha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Changsha is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$2.81 ¥18.98

510.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$20.61 ¥139

230.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.01 ¥33.82

172.26%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$3.05 ¥20.58

-8.85%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.42 ¥2.83

571.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.27 ¥1.83

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$1.10 ¥7.40

302.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$1.84 ¥12.43

150.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.94 ¥13.08

-34.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.34 ¥15.80

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.92 ¥6.20

116.30%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.60 ¥10.82

110.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$15.68 ¥106

20.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.12 ¥21.04

205.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$9.28 ¥62.7

101.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.90 ¥12.84

39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.35 ¥9.11

74.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.80 ¥12.14

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.79 ¥12.12

52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.89 ¥6.02

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.48 ¥10.00

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.51 ¥3.42

196.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.42 ¥2.86

111.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$2.75 ¥18.56

146.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$12.32 ¥83.2

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.97 ¥6.54

41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.43 ¥9.69

67.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.36 ¥2.44

708.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$13.88 ¥93.7

106.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.22 ¥8.21

275.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.28 ¥1.90

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$8.26 ¥55.8

247.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.16 ¥7.87

56.90%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$20.3K ¥137.2K

93.63%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$21.9K ¥147.7K

48.54%

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

$187 €163

$42.63 ¥288

337.79%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$12.25 ¥82.7

81.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$14.78 ¥99.9

146.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$58.8 ¥397

-2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$22.75 ¥154

-8.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$5.76 ¥38.88

86.98%

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

$725 €632

$315 ¥2,130

129.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$7,268 ¥49.1K

108.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$83.4 ¥564

5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$30.97 ¥209

18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$81.3 ¥549

27.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$70.4 ¥475

68.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$204 ¥1,380

646.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$167 ¥1,126

635.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$511 ¥3,453

433.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$353 ¥2,386

461.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,585 ¥17.5K

188.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,377 ¥9,300

280.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,111 ¥7,502

115.42%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Changsha: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $204 in Changsha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 115% 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 $21.00 in Changsha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $222 per month, with Changsha 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 Changsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Changsha differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $767 including rent). Changsha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $204 in Changsha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $315 in Changsha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in Changsha versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Changsha but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Changsha 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 Changsha 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 Changsha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.