Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jingmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $741 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Jingmen
🇨🇳 China
$741
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Jingmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Jingmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $741 in Jingmen.

  • Barcelona $2,399
  • Jingmen $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $1,215 in Jingmen.

  • Barcelona $3,410
  • Jingmen $1,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $1,689 in Jingmen.

  • Barcelona $4,421
  • Jingmen $1,689

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than in Jingmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Jingmen is 45% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.94 €15.96
$3.08 ¥20.58
482.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €60.5
$22.61 ¥151
201.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.28 €11.81
$4.11 ¥27.49
223.11%
Cappuccino
$3.25 €2.89
$2.21 ¥14.76
47.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.67
$0.43 ¥2.90
600.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.66
$0.29 ¥1.92
544.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.85 €3.42
$0.86 ¥5.78
347.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 €3.98
$1.07 ¥7.17
318.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.00 ¥13.38
-35.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.79 ¥11.94
13.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.03 ¥6.89
66.99%
Eggs
$4.77 €4.24
$1.67 ¥11.15
185.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.77 €14.92
$13.15 ¥87.9
27.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.93 €7.94
$3.69 ¥24.66
142.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.88 €17.68
$13.68 ¥91.4
45.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.65
$2.20 ¥14.73
35.45%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.80
$1.20 ¥8.03
69.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.41 ¥9.45
93.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.68 €2.38
$1.11 ¥7.40
141.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.82 ¥5.51
156.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$0.77 ¥5.16
170.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.38 ¥2.52
281.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.79
$0.43 ¥2.89
106.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.94 €6.17
$6.53 ¥43.65
6.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.78 €6.92
$14.67 ¥98.1
-46.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.75 ¥5.00
93.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.04 ¥13.61
25.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.99 €2.66
$0.32 ¥2.14
834.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.20 €22.41
$19.67 ¥132
28.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 €2.77
$1.47 ¥9.82
112.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.29 ¥1.91
396.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.50 €29.80
$4.34 ¥29.03
671.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.07 ¥7.17
67.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K €30.8K
$19.7K ¥131.5K
76.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K €26.7K
$16.8K ¥112.5K
78.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 €158
$57.6 ¥385
208.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.32 €11.85
$7.52 ¥50.3
77.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.88 €31.03
$11.70 ¥78.3
198.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.3 €47.37
$44.91 ¥300
18.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.01 €14.24
$12.76 ¥85.3
25.47%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.84
$5.35 ¥35.74
106.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$957 €851
$375 ¥2,505
155.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.7K
$11.9K ¥79.3K
39.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2 €78.4
$54.4 ¥363
62.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.49 €35.12
$33.37 ¥223
18.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.5
$60.6 ¥405
69.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$113 ¥756
7.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,653 €1,470
$277 ¥1,850
497.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,302 €1,158
$170 ¥1,134
667.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,557 €2,275
$664 ¥4,438
285.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,915 €1,703
$396 ¥2,648
383.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,286 €6,481
$3,203 ¥21.4K
127.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,080 €4,519
$2,196 ¥14.7K
131.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Jingmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,281 €2,029
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.31
-0.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jingmen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Jingmen
$170 87% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$320
Jingmen
$225 29.8% $95
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Jingmen
$73 73% $197
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$226
Jingmen
$77 66% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Jingmen
$118 25.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$75
Jingmen
$56 26.2% $20
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Jingmen
$24 49.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $277 in Jingmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Jingmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $225 per month, with Jingmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇳 Jingmen
🕒 Local time
10:41 10:41 AM
16:41 4:41 PM
6 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
2,873,687
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Jingmen 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Jingmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jingmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Jingmen?
Barcelona and Jingmen differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $741 including rent). Jingmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Jingmen?
You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $1,112 in Jingmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Jingmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $277 in Jingmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Jingmen?
Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $375 in Jingmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $741 in Jingmen versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jingmen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jingmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Jingmen?
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.
Is Barcelona or Jingmen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Jingmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Jingmen?
Expats usually find Jingmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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