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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $662 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $960 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,258 in Jiangmen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 256% more expensive than Jiangmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Jiangmen is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$3.11 ¥21.26

467.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$16.61 ¥113

309.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$5.00 ¥34.15

179.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$2.78 ¥18.98

-0.72%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.48 ¥3.28

475.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.28 ¥1.89

603.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.27 ¥8.70

256.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.82 ¥19.25

60.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.75 ¥11.95

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.51 ¥10.32

35.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.90 ¥6.11

112.22%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.65 ¥11.28

105.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$7.09 ¥48.41

158.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$3.15 ¥21.49

198.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$9.55 ¥65.2

97.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.87 ¥12.80

40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.26 ¥8.62

90.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.07 ¥7.31

98.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.20 ¥8.18

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.58 ¥3.93

253.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.83 ¥5.70

114.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.37 ¥2.53

297.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.55 ¥3.73

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.41 ¥23.28

105.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$14.25 ¥97.4

-46.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.65 ¥4.42

121.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.71 ¥11.69

35.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.43 ¥2.96

583.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$16.95 ¥116

73.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.41 ¥9.63

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.35 ¥2.37

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.92 ¥47.28

318.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.13 ¥7.71

67.26%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$22.8K ¥155.9K

71.08%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$20.3K ¥138.4K

60.11%

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

$189 €161

$37.70 ¥257

400.82%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$7.79 ¥53.2

185.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$11.44 ¥78.1

219.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$27.46 ¥188

111.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$4.13 ¥28.22

415.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$6.14 ¥41.95

79.32%

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

$731 €622

$223 ¥1,520

228.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$9,624 ¥65.7K

54.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$21.03 ¥144

324.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$29.84 ¥204

25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$74.7 ¥510

40.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$37.06 ¥253

213.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$281 ¥1,917

452.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$188 ¥1,284

546.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$419 ¥2,861

568.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$247 ¥1,689

712.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,160 ¥21.6K

126.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,215 ¥8,296

313.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$557 ¥3,807

341.76%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $281 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 342% 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 in Barcelona vs $17 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $182 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 256% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $662 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 342% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $281 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $223 in Jiangmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $662 in Jiangmen versus $2,356 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 256% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.