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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $697 in Jining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Jining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,567 in Jining.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 239% more expensive than Jining, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Jining is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.75 ¥18.60

539.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$20.75 ¥141

229.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.99 ¥33.80

181.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.05 ¥20.68

-8.85%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.43 ¥2.94

551.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.93 ¥6.27

379.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.14 ¥14.47

115.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 ¥12.18

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.53 ¥10.34

32.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.92 ¥6.22

108.70%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.63 ¥11.01

103.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.09 ¥88.7

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.12 ¥21.13

204.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$10.17 ¥68.9

88.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.79 ¥12.10

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.27 ¥8.58

92.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.36 ¥9.21

55.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.09 ¥7.39

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.73 ¥4.94

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.92 ¥6.24

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.59 ¥4.01

149.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.73

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.04 ¥20.60

134.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.62 ¥58.4

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.80 ¥5.45

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.66 ¥11.27

39.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.82

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.98 ¥115

72.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.35 ¥9.15

240.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.33 ¥2.22

527.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$6.52 ¥44.17

347.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 ¥7.96

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.4K ¥131.6K

100.83%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$16.7K ¥113.0K

95.94%

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

$188 €162

$45.43 ¥308

313.43%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$9.76 ¥66.1

134.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.47 ¥77.7

220.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$41.93 ¥284

36.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.88 ¥94.0

49.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.20 ¥42.01

80.48%

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

$721 €621

$339 ¥2,295

112.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$17.0K ¥115.3K

-11.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$44.29 ¥300

94.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.40 ¥206

21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$70.5 ¥478

44.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$74.2 ¥503

56.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$282 ¥1,910

443.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$184 ¥1,247

563.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$603 ¥4,084

347.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$365 ¥2,472

451.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,175 ¥21.5K

127.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,791 ¥12.1K

189.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$577 ¥3,909

308.79%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jining: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $282 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 309% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $194 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 239% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $697 including rent). Jining is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 309% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $282 in Jining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $339 in Jining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $697 in Jining versus $2,367 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 239% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.