Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Longyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Longyan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $708 in Longyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,125 in Longyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,542 in Longyan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 233% more expensive than in Longyan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Longyan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.85 ¥19.27

501.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$21.07 ¥142

223.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.41 ¥36.53

152.13%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.03 ¥13.69

36.95%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.51 ¥3.42

452.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.27 ¥1.80

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.05 ¥7.09

321.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.51 ¥10.22

205.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.88 ¥12.71

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.37 ¥9.27

55.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.67 ¥4.49

197.01%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.33 ¥8.99

153.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$10.99 ¥74.2

72.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.27 ¥15.33

319.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.30 ¥76.3

65.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.44 ¥16.49

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.32 ¥8.91

78.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.50 ¥10.11

39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.84 ¥12.45

48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.94 ¥6.37

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.65 ¥11.14

9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.82 ¥5.55

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.51 ¥3.44

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.82 ¥19.04

140.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$24.16 ¥163

-67.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.78 ¥5.27

75.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.59 ¥10.73

50.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.27 ¥1.80

977.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.38 ¥111

74.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.42 ¥9.56

222.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.28 ¥1.89

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.80 ¥45.91

322.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.18 ¥7.97

54.24%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$16.3K ¥110.2K

140.81%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.7K ¥119.2K

83.91%

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

$187 €162

$38.84 ¥262

380.51%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.06 ¥67.9

121.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.60 ¥78.3

213.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.94 ¥283

37.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.70 ¥92.5

51.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.78 ¥45.78

58.85%

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

$725 €628

$464 ¥3,130

56.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$17.2K ¥115.9K

-11.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$28.12 ¥190

212.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$14.09 ¥95.1

161.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$69.9 ¥472

47.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$79.4 ¥536

49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$279 ¥1,881

446.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$187 ¥1,264

555.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$591 ¥3,988

361.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$357 ¥2,413

455.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,312 ¥8,859

299.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$490 ¥3,306

388.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.56

-4.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Longyan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $279 in Longyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 389% 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 Longyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $225 per month, with Longyan 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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Longyan differ by about 233% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $708 including rent). Longyan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 389% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $279 in Longyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $464 in Longyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Longyan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Longyan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Longyan 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 Longyan 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 Longyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.