Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Changzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $733 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,214 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,695 in Changzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 240% more expensive than in Changzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$3.01 ¥20.18

510.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$28.60 ¥192

141.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$4.56 ¥30.62

209.87%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.11 ¥14.19

48.34%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.38 ¥2.57

694.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.23 ¥1.54

752.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.57 ¥3.84

601.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.45 ¥9.75

228.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.93 ¥12.94

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.28 ¥8.57

68.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.96 ¥6.43

76.04%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.63 ¥10.91

202.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$7.53 ¥50.5

137.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$2.88 ¥19.36

233.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$12.37 ¥83.0

56.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.11 ¥14.16

53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.73 ¥11.59

26.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.05 ¥13.74

30.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.09 ¥7.30

154.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.87 ¥5.83

154.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.93 ¥6.23

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.42 ¥2.79

261.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.68 ¥4.59

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.26 ¥21.84

118.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$10.49 ¥70.4

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.93 ¥6.26

61.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.59 ¥10.67

74.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.35 ¥2.32

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$14.09 ¥94.5

91.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.47 ¥9.83

121.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.09

383.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$2.86 ¥19.17

1119.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.26 ¥8.47

38.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$17.3K ¥115.9K

112.27%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$13.9K ¥93.5K

122.10%

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

$188 €161

$63.2 ¥424

197.02%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$8.63 ¥57.9

78.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$10.42 ¥69.9

262.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$40.42 ¥271

41.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$15.00 ¥101

12.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$4.55 ¥30.55

154.51%

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

$1,003 €862

$252 ¥1,691

297.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$14.9K ¥99.7K

14.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$48.92 ¥328

82.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$27.76 ¥186

47.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$73.1 ¥491

50.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$75.1 ¥504

63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$284 ¥1,906

489.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$232 ¥1,555

474.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$918 ¥6,158

182.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$503 ¥3,378

287.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,950 ¥19.8K

156.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,603 ¥10.8K

234.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,067 ¥7,157

125.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.35

-5.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $284 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 125% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $194 per month, with Changzhou 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Changzhou differ by about 240% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $733 including rent). Changzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $284 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $252 in Changzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $733 in Changzhou versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.