Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jilin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jilin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $717 in Jilin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,129 in Jilin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,541 in Jilin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 226% more expensive than Jilin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Jilin is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$2.73 ¥18.48

525.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$21.14 ¥143

227.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$4.94 ¥33.42

178.95%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$3.16 ¥21.39

-12.66%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$0.41 ¥2.76

580.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.22 ¥1.49

804.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$1.09 ¥7.38

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.13 ¥14.39

122.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.62 ¥11.00

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.53 ¥10.36

33.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.90 ¥6.11

121.11%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$1.62 ¥10.96

109.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$13.05 ¥88.4

44.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$3.10 ¥21.01

201.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$10.02 ¥67.8

90.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.74 ¥11.79

55.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.20 ¥8.15

95.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.40 ¥9.50

51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.14 ¥7.69

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.67 ¥4.52

194.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$0.97 ¥6.59

85.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.59 ¥4.02

145.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.55 ¥3.71

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.09 ¥20.93

119.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$10.98 ¥74.4

-28.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.76 ¥5.12

82.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.64 ¥11.13

44.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.27 ¥1.82

981.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$16.47 ¥112

74.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.99 ¥6.73

350.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.35 ¥2.38

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$6.54 ¥44.31

351.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.13 ¥7.66

61.06%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$19.3K ¥131.0K

100.75%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

98.25%

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

$189 €164

$45.73 ¥310

313.80%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$9.81 ¥66.4

132.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$11.74 ¥79.5

220.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$41.08 ¥278

40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$13.97 ¥94.6

48.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$6.22 ¥42.10

73.95%

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

$728 €631

$340 ¥2,304

114.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

-13.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$42.66 ¥289

107.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$30.97 ¥210

18.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$70.6 ¥478

44.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$74.0 ¥501

56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$280 ¥1,896

460.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$191 ¥1,291

539.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$601 ¥4,073

364.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$358 ¥2,421

452.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$3,235 ¥21.9K

139.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$1,531 ¥10.4K

238.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$451 ¥3,052

419.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jilin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $280 in Jilin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 420% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Jilin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $195 per month, with Jilin 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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jilin differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $717 including rent). Jilin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 420% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $280 in Jilin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $340 in Jilin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Jilin versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jilin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jilin 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 Jilin 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 Jilin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.