Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jining Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jining

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $683 in Jining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,014 in Jining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,346 in Jining.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 265% more expensive than in Jining, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Jining is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.30 ¥15.41

699.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$16.07 ¥108

330.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$4.36 ¥29.27

224.08%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.51 ¥16.83

24.70%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.47 ¥3.12

542.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 ¥1.92

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.91 ¥6.12

339.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.67 ¥11.21

185.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.67 ¥11.20

-25.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.16 ¥7.80

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.93 ¥6.22

81.72%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$0.98 ¥6.56

403.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$8.09 ¥54.3

121.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$2.89 ¥19.40

232.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.27 ¥68.9

88.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.47 ¥9.88

120.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.01 ¥6.81

115.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.06 ¥7.13

151.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.17 ¥7.84

136.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.62 ¥4.15

256.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.72 ¥4.83

204.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.61 ¥4.11

149.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.76 ¥5.13

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$5.18 ¥34.79

37.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$9.39 ¥63.0

-13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.01 ¥6.76

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.62 ¥10.85

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.10

916.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$20.37 ¥137

32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.07 ¥7.18

203.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.29 ¥1.92

417.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$3.53 ¥23.67

888.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.27 ¥8.54

37.80%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.3K ¥129.8K

89.56%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.4K ¥116.7K

77.91%

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

$188 €161

$60.6 ¥406

209.82%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$7.15 ¥47.98

115.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$10.57 ¥70.9

257.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$41.78 ¥280

36.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$14.84 ¥99.6

13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$4.45 ¥29.85

160.22%

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

$1,003 €862

$314 ¥2,110

218.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,437 ¥49.9K

128.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$51.9 ¥348

71.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$31.02 ¥208

31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$73.0 ¥490

50.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$70.3 ¥471

74.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$281 ¥1,886

495.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$179 ¥1,204

642.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$392 ¥2,629

562.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$265 ¥1,777

636.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,192 ¥21.4K

137.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,958 ¥13.1K

174.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$579 ¥3,887

314.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.29

-3.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Jining: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $281 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $16.00 in Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $171 per month, with Jining 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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jining differ by about 265% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $683 including rent). Jining is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $281 in Jining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $314 in Jining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $683 in Jining versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jining 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 Jining 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 Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 265% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.