Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Datong Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Datong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $708 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,556 in Datong.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 250% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Datong is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$2.71 ¥18.14

591.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$21.85 ¥146

217.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$4.88 ¥32.66

182.17%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.09 ¥20.64

0.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.44 ¥2.91

543.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 ¥1.96

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.93 ¥6.21

327.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.15 ¥14.37

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.85 ¥12.35

-31.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.55 ¥10.35

39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.97 ¥6.50

81.44%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.60 ¥10.67

220.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.57

$12.86 ¥86.0

39.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.15 ¥21.05

206.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$10.23 ¥68.4

96.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.86 ¥12.47

74.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.22 ¥8.13

82.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.49 ¥9.95

74.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.11 ¥7.40

148.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.70 ¥4.71

215.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.89 ¥5.97

138.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.60 ¥4.01

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 ¥3.72

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.19 ¥21.30

130.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.37 ¥69.3

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.74 ¥4.93

108.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.65 ¥11.03

69.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.27 ¥1.79

1051.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$16.76 ¥112

54.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.35 ¥9.03

142.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.35 ¥2.37

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.85

$6.81 ¥45.56

403.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.13 ¥7.58

53.10%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

90.72%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.4K ¥116.5K

75.28%

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

$187 €163

$44.57 ¥298

319.74%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$9.85 ¥65.9

53.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.82

$11.95 ¥79.9

215.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.72

$41.40 ¥277

35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$13.65 ¥91.3

25.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$5.91 ¥39.51

93.06%

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

$997 €868

$328 ¥2,192

204.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$16.7K ¥111.9K

-1.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$43.16 ¥289

114.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$30.67 ¥205

34.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$73.2 ¥489

51.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$72.2 ¥483

73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$282 ¥1,887

505.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$191 ¥1,277

573.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,234

$598 ¥3,997

329.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,691

$355 ¥2,376

446.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,661

$2,973 ¥19.9K

157.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,500

$1,998 ¥13.4K

158.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.89

-18.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Datong: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $282 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $198 per month, with Datong 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Datong differ by about 250% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $708 including rent). Datong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,062 in Datong 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $282 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $328 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Datong versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Datong 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 Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.