Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanchong Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanchong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $648 in Nanchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,027 in Nanchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,407 in Nanchong.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 264% more expensive than Nanchong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Nanchong is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$1.70 ¥11.60

937.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$20.56 ¥140

231.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$3.43 ¥23.43

307.00%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$2.41 ¥16.43

14.52%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$0.39 ¥2.68

607.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.29 ¥2.00

579.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.00 ¥6.86

353.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.63 ¥11.15

177.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.75 ¥11.95

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.25 ¥8.55

63.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$0.73 ¥4.99

161.64%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$1.36 ¥9.32

149.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$15.52 ¥106

18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$2.49 ¥17.03

277.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$10.12 ¥69.1

86.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.09 ¥7.44

141.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.09 ¥7.45

120.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$0.99 ¥6.76

114.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$0.68 ¥4.67

297.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.58 ¥3.94

253.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$0.71 ¥4.85

150.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.56 ¥3.83

162.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.40 ¥2.76

127.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$3.17 ¥21.62

121.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$8.66 ¥59.2

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.94 ¥6.45

53.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.97 ¥13.43

17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.27 ¥1.82

988.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$16.57 ¥113

77.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$0.82 ¥5.61

452.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$0.32 ¥2.21

568.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$2.75 ¥18.81

953.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.11 ¥7.61

70.27%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$18.0K ¥122.9K

116.93%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$16.5K ¥112.8K

96.46%

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

$189 €160

$36.67 ¥250

414.89%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$6.12 ¥41.80

263.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$6.79 ¥46.36

438.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$42.26 ¥289

37.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

$14.10 ¥96.3

51.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$5.60 ¥38.26

96.61%

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

$731 €621

$335 ¥2,289

118.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$26.5K ¥181.0K

-44.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$29.16 ¥199

206.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$28.29 ¥193

32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$58.6 ¥400

78.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$60.4 ¥412

92.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$283 ¥1,931

448.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$188 ¥1,287

545.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$584 ¥3,986

379.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$359 ¥2,455

458.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

$3,159 ¥21.6K

126.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

$1,712 ¥11.7K

193.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.74

-9.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $283 in Nanchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $21 in Nanchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $183 per month, with Nanchong 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nanchong differ by about 264% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $648 including rent). Nanchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $972 in Nanchong 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $283 in Nanchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $335 in Nanchong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $648 in Nanchong versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanchong but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nanchong 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 Nanchong 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 Nanchong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 264% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.