Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jinan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jinan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $724 in Jinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Jinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,602 in Jinan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 223% more expensive than Jinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Jinan is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.86 ¥19.36

497.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$27.59 ¥187

150.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.83 ¥32.68

185.30%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.22 ¥21.81

-14.29%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.45 ¥3.03

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.23 ¥1.55

765.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.88 ¥5.96

395.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.86 ¥12.55

154.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.80 ¥12.17

-28.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.63 ¥11.03

25.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.07 ¥7.24

85.98%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.18 ¥7.99

187.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.22 ¥62.4

104.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.72 ¥18.41

244.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.35 ¥63.2

104.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.22 ¥8.25

121.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.90 ¥6.09

160.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.32 ¥8.91

60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.76 ¥5.12

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.55 ¥3.70

258.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.53 ¥3.58

239.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.37 ¥2.51

291.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.49 ¥3.28

75.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.17 ¥21.41

113.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.94 ¥67.2

-20.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.82 ¥5.54

69.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.67 ¥11.26

41.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.40 ¥2.71

630.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$8.20 ¥55.5

249.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.58 ¥10.69

182.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.30 ¥2.00

583.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.16 ¥28.13

610.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.17 ¥7.92

55.56%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$16.7K ¥112.9K

132.60%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$18.2K ¥122.8K

82.20%

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

$189 €163

$86.1 ¥582

119.91%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.01 ¥67.7

127.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$6.82 ¥46.12

451.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$94.9 ¥642

-39.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$7.00 ¥47.31

196.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.07 ¥41.05

78.25%

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

$728 €628

$207 ¥1,399

251.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$17.7K ¥120.0K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$40.23 ¥272

120.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$29.13 ¥197

26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$76.7 ¥519

33.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$70.2 ¥475

65.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$280 ¥1,895

459.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$154 ¥1,044

689.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$694 ¥4,690

303.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$318 ¥2,152

520.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,323 ¥15.7K

233.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,352 ¥9,141

282.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$990 ¥6,697

136.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.94

-13.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jinan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Barcelona pays 137% 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 $28.00 in Jinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $171 per month, with Jinan 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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jinan differ by about 223% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $724 including rent). Jinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 137% 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 Jinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $207 in Jinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Jinan versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jinan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jinan 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 Jinan 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 Jinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.