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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $708 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,160 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,612 in Changzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 234% more expensive than Changzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.84 ¥19.24

519.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$26.70 ¥181

156.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.24 ¥28.74

231.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.95 ¥20.00

-5.76%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.48 ¥3.22

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.25 ¥1.68

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.69 ¥4.66

546.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.42 ¥9.64

224.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.99 ¥13.49

-37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.27 ¥8.61

59.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.93 ¥6.30

106.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.80 ¥12.18

83.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.80 ¥46.08

171.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.41 ¥16.33

293.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$9.43 ¥63.9

103.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.77 ¥12.00

49.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.79 ¥12.11

36.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.65 ¥11.16

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.96 ¥6.51

196.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.73 ¥4.96

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.92 ¥6.22

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.39 ¥2.65

276.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.49 ¥3.30

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.01 ¥20.42

137.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.32 ¥69.9

-23.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.69 ¥4.65

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 ¥11.00

42.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.30 ¥2.01

893.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$13.20 ¥89.4

121.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.35 ¥9.14

240.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.28 ¥1.91

639.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$2.71 ¥18.34

976.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 ¥7.85

58.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$15.4K ¥104.2K

153.69%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$17.4K ¥117.7K

88.21%

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

$188 €162

$44.68 ¥303

320.37%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$11.47 ¥77.7

99.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.22 ¥123

101.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$38.78 ¥263

47.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.10 ¥95.5

46.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.43 ¥43.53

74.03%

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

$721 €621

$230 ¥1,560

212.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.9K ¥94.0K

8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$46.28 ¥313

86.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$26.00 ¥176

42.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$70.6 ¥478

44.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$69.0 ¥467

67.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$285 ¥1,931

438.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$204 ¥1,384

497.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$844 ¥5,715

219.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$472 ¥3,196

326.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,967 ¥20.1K

143.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,597 ¥10.8K

224.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,140 ¥7,722

106.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.35

1.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 107% 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 $27.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $174 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 234% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $708 including rent). Changzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 107% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $230 in Changzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Changzhou versus $2,367 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 234% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.