Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $691 in Chengdu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,088 in Chengdu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,484 in Chengdu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 241% more expensive than in Chengdu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Chengdu is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$2.84 ¥19.14

503.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.0

$23.43 ¥158

190.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$4.94 ¥33.34

176.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.79 ¥18.84

-0.36%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.43 ¥2.93

555.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.30 ¥2.03

553.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.14 ¥7.67

288.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.11 ¥14.22

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.79 ¥12.10

-29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.45 ¥9.77

46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.91 ¥6.17

118.68%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.92 ¥12.96

75.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$13.62 ¥91.8

39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$3.65 ¥24.63

161.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$11.42 ¥77.0

64.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.84 ¥12.39

44.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.23 ¥8.29

91.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.44 ¥9.71

45.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.06 ¥7.18

157.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.71 ¥4.80

176.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.70 ¥4.73

158.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.60 ¥4.02

151.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.57 ¥3.83

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$3.40 ¥22.91

99.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

$5.44 ¥36.69

45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.94 ¥6.36

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.88 ¥12.70

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.43 ¥2.92

576.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

$27.82 ¥188

3.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$1.22 ¥8.24

275.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.28 ¥1.91

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$4.28 ¥28.84

571.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.12 ¥7.55

62.50%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$18.7K ¥125.9K

110.72%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$16.7K ¥112.4K

94.95%

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

$187 €162

$44.08 ¥297

323.39%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$11.44 ¥77.2

94.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$11.59 ¥78.2

213.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$23.88 ¥161

140.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$11.59 ¥78.2

78.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$5.43 ¥36.63

98.34%

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

$725 €629

$342 ¥2,308

111.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$12.3K ¥82.9K

23.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$36.64 ¥247

139.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.93

$38.88 ¥262

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$66.4 ¥448

55.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$51.5 ¥347

130.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$310 ¥2,093

391.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$180 ¥1,215

581.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$611 ¥4,122

346.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$324 ¥2,185

512.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,479

$3,792 ¥25.6K

96.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$1,909 ¥12.9K

174.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$1,258 ¥8,484

90.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.21

-19.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $310 in Chengdu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 90% 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 $23.00 in Chengdu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $197 per month, with Chengdu 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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chengdu differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $691 including rent). Chengdu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 90% 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 $310 in Chengdu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $342 in Chengdu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Chengdu versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chengdu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chengdu 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 Chengdu 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 Chengdu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.