Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changshu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changshu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $720 in Changshu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,121 in Changshu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,522 in Changshu.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$2.80 ¥18.90

512.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$21.39 ¥144

218.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$4.97 ¥33.49

174.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.00 ¥20.26

-7.33%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.46 ¥3.13

513.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.29 ¥1.96

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.88 ¥5.96

403.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.05 ¥13.80

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.87 ¥12.59

-32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.57 ¥10.59

35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.89 ¥6.03

123.60%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.54 ¥10.42

118.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$12.79 ¥86.2

48.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$3.10 ¥20.88

207.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$10.38 ¥70.0

80.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.86 ¥12.55

42.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.20 ¥8.07

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.55 ¥10.48

34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.11 ¥7.49

145.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.74 ¥4.99

164.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.96 ¥6.50

88.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.56 ¥3.76

169.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.51 ¥3.43

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$3.04 ¥20.51

123.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

$10.64 ¥71.8

-25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.79 ¥5.31

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.60 ¥10.82

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.29 ¥1.97

903.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$16.94 ¥114

69.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$1.36 ¥9.19

236.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.33 ¥2.19

518.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$6.87 ¥46.35

318.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.65

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$19.3K ¥129.9K

104.20%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$17.5K ¥117.7K

86.08%

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

$187 €162

$44.43 ¥300

320.05%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$9.72 ¥65.5

129.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$11.53 ¥77.8

215.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$41.97 ¥283

37.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$13.85 ¥93.4

49.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$5.94 ¥40.06

81.31%

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

$725 €629

$335 ¥2,261

116.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$17.0K ¥114.6K

-10.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$43.50 ¥293

101.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$30.07 ¥203

22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$73.1 ¥493

41.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$72.1 ¥486

64.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$275 ¥1,852

455.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$193 ¥1,303

535.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$589 ¥3,976

362.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$356 ¥2,401

457.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$2,985 ¥20.1K

150.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$2,038 ¥13.7K

157.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

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 Changshu: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $275 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $198 per month, with Changshu 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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Changshu differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $720 including rent). Changshu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,079 in Changshu 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $275 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $335 in Changshu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Changshu versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu 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.