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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $630 in Nanchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,024 in Nanchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,419 in Nanchong.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 275% more expensive than in Nanchong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nanchong is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.64 ¥11.07

945.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$20.57 ¥139

230.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.44 ¥23.23

296.51%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.39 ¥16.10

16.32%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.40 ¥2.68

605.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.29 ¥1.98

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.95 ¥6.39

366.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.65 ¥11.15

179.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.77 ¥11.97

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.25 ¥8.43

70.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.72 ¥4.84

176.39%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.31 ¥8.82

157.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$15.51 ¥105

22.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.56 ¥17.28

272.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.45 ¥70.5

79.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.14 ¥7.67

132.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.13 ¥7.62

107.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.96 ¥6.48

117.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.69 ¥4.64

295.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.55 ¥3.69

256.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.73 ¥4.90

147.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.57 ¥3.87

164.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.41 ¥2.75

117.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.18 ¥21.50

113.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.74 ¥59.0

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.94 ¥6.36

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.98 ¥13.39

21.21%

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

$16.44 ¥111

74.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.86 ¥5.78

432.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.30 ¥2.01

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.83 ¥19.12

914.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.12 ¥7.54

62.50%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$18.3K ¥123.6K

114.80%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$16.6K ¥111.9K

95.91%

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

$187 €162

$36.57 ¥247

410.34%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.93 ¥40.00

275.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$7.02 ¥47.41

418.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$42.26 ¥285

36.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.08 ¥95.0

47.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.60 ¥37.83

92.32%

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

$725 €628

$335 ¥2,258

116.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$26.6K ¥179.6K

-43.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$29.61 ¥200

196.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.87 ¥188

32.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$58.3 ¥393

77.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$61.0 ¥412

94.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$278 ¥1,876

448.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$190 ¥1,282

545.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$585 ¥3,951

366.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$360 ¥2,428

451.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,391 ¥22.9K

120.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,981 ¥13.4K

164.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $278 in Nanchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Nanchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $185 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 275% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $630 including rent). Nanchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $945 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $278 in Nanchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $630 in Nanchong versus $2,359 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 275% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.