Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dongguan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dongguan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $762 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,183 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,605 in Dongguan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 211% more expensive than Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dongguan is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.46 ¥16.65

614.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$20.48 ¥138

234.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.35 ¥29.40

223.22%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.71 ¥18.35

2.58%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.44 ¥3.01

536.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.29 ¥1.97

610.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.12 ¥7.60

298.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.18 ¥14.73

111.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.71 ¥11.54

-27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.45 ¥9.78

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.97 ¥6.55

97.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.80 ¥12.18

83.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.01 ¥88.0

41.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.93 ¥26.60

141.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.39 ¥77.0

68.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.83 ¥12.35

44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.46 ¥9.85

67.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.81 ¥12.22

17.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.36 ¥9.17

109.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.01 ¥6.82

101.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.46 ¥9.86

26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.65 ¥4.41

126.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.73

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.82 ¥19.09

153.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$14.55 ¥98.4

-45.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.89 ¥6.04

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 ¥12.55

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 ¥1.98

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$21.18 ¥143

38.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.28 ¥8.63

259.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.35 ¥2.34

491.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$5.43 ¥36.73

437.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 ¥7.86

58.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.8K ¥140.5K

87.78%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.5K ¥138.5K

59.63%

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

$188 €162

$62.1 ¥420

202.35%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$8.36 ¥56.5

174.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$12.32 ¥83.3

197.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$60.5 ¥409

-5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$13.24 ¥89.5

56.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.87 ¥46.45

62.88%

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

$721 €620

$451 ¥3,050

59.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$20.5K ¥138.9K

-26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$29.57 ¥200

191.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$24.49 ¥166

51.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$61.9 ¥418

64.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$37.57 ¥254

208.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$361 ¥2,442

324.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$216 ¥1,458

465.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$691 ¥4,674

289.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$406 ¥2,745

395.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$5,711 ¥38.6K

26.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,110 ¥21.0K

66.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$836 ¥5,653

182.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.04

-16.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $361 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 182% 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 $20.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $220 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dongguan differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $762 including rent). Dongguan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 182% 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 $361 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $451 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $762 in Dongguan versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan 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 Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.