Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jiangmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jiangmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $643 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $958 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,273 in Jiangmen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 261% more expensive than in Jiangmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Jiangmen is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.04 ¥20.56

480.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$16.98 ¥115

310.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.15 ¥34.80

174.95%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.76 ¥18.68

1.45%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.50 ¥3.38

462.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.30 ¥2.03

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.28 ¥8.67

259.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.74 ¥18.54

71.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.79 ¥12.13

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.52 ¥10.26

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.96 ¥6.47

106.25%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.64 ¥11.10

112.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.12 ¥48.10

157.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.19 ¥21.57

208.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.50 ¥64.2

101.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.90 ¥12.81

43.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.28 ¥8.65

85.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 ¥7.13

96.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.24 ¥8.37

121.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.61 ¥4.16

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.84 ¥5.65

113.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 ¥2.44

311.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.58 ¥3.93

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.51 ¥23.74

103.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.21 ¥82.5

-35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.61 ¥4.13

126.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.63 ¥11.01

46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.41 ¥2.75

634.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.75 ¥113

75.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.41 ¥9.51

209.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.34 ¥2.32

526.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.75 ¥45.61

338.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.12 ¥7.59

62.50%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.1K ¥156.0K

64.16%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.7K ¥139.8K

56.48%

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

$189 €166

$38.27 ¥259

393.94%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.07 ¥54.5

176.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.37 ¥76.8

226.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$28.23 ¥191

105.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$4.07 ¥27.51

407.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.15 ¥41.54

76.75%

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

$706 €618

$226 ¥1,528

212.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,894 ¥66.9K

50.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$21.06 ¥142

324.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.20 ¥204

21.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.3 ¥502

39.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$37.80 ¥255

215.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$278 ¥1,881

467.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$190 ¥1,282

552.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$424 ¥2,867

539.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$251 ¥1,694

713.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,952 ¥40.2K

26.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,229 ¥8,302

326.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$585 ¥3,953

304.07%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $278 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 304% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $180 per month, with Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jiangmen differ by about 261% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $643 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 304% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $278 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $226 in Jiangmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $643 in Jiangmen versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 261% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.