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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $699 in Jilin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,119 in Jilin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,539 in Jilin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than Jilin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Jilin is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$2.85 ¥19.45

518.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$21.10 ¥144

222.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$4.74 ¥32.34

194.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.27 ¥22.32

-15.60%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$0.44 ¥2.99

527.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.22 ¥1.50

795.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.14 ¥7.80

297.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.10 ¥14.36

115.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.70 ¥11.59

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.55 ¥10.58

31.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$0.91 ¥6.18

109.89%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$1.64 ¥11.18

106.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$12.60 ¥86.1

45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$3.06 ¥20.92

206.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$10.36 ¥70.8

82.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.75 ¥11.94

50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.20 ¥8.16

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.37 ¥9.33

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$1.12 ¥7.67

141.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.69 ¥4.70

197.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$0.96 ¥6.59

85.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.60 ¥4.07

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.70

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$3.09 ¥21.07

126.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$10.27 ¥70.1

-26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.81 ¥5.52

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.64 ¥11.20

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.27 ¥1.84

988.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$16.88 ¥115

74.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.01 ¥6.90

348.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$0.32 ¥2.21

568.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$6.60 ¥45.09

338.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.16 ¥7.94

62.93%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$19.6K ¥133.9K

99.09%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$16.4K ¥111.9K

98.05%

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

$189 €160

$46.28 ¥316

307.97%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$9.97 ¥68.1

123.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$11.35 ¥77.5

222.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$41.92 ¥286

38.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

$14.04 ¥95.9

51.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$6.44 ¥43.99

70.96%

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

$731 €621

$339 ¥2,318

115.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$17.0K ¥115.9K

-12.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$43.08 ¥294

107.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$30.15 ¥206

23.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$72.8 ¥497

43.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$74.4 ¥508

56.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$282 ¥1,929

449.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$187 ¥1,280

549.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$581 ¥3,970

381.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$359 ¥2,450

459.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

$3,250 ¥22.2K

120.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

$2,129 ¥14.5K

135.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

$447 ¥3,056

450.28%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jilin: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $282 in Jilin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 450% 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 $21 in Jilin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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 237% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $699 including rent). Jilin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 450% 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 $282 in Jilin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $339 in Jilin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $699 in Jilin versus $2,356 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 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.