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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $671 in Nanchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,093 in Nanchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,514 in Nanchong.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 269% more expensive than in Nanchong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Nanchong is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$1.81 ¥12.11

935.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$22.46 ¥150

209.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.99 ¥20.04

360.54%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.06 ¥13.83

50.49%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.46 ¥3.10

515.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 ¥2.11

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.17 ¥7.82

240.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.83 ¥12.24

147.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.92 ¥12.85

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.61 ¥10.79

34.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.64 ¥4.28

175.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.15 ¥14.39

138.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$17.85 ¥120

0.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.40 ¥22.76

183.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.92 ¥66.4

103.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.48 ¥9.93

119.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.33 ¥8.91

67.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.23 ¥8.23

111.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.21 ¥8.12

128.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.65 ¥4.36

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.00 ¥6.68

112.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.88 ¥5.89

76.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.65 ¥4.36

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.93 ¥19.61

150.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.72 ¥58.4

-7.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.74 ¥4.99

108.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.65 ¥11.05

69.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.28 ¥1.86

1010.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$17.64 ¥118

46.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.88 ¥5.89

271.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.29 ¥1.92

410.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.04 ¥20.38

1027.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.26 ¥8.43

37.30%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.2K ¥128.4K

89.72%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.7K ¥111.8K

82.95%

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

$187 €163

$45.30 ¥303

312.98%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$6.89 ¥46.15

119.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$7.16 ¥47.93

426.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$41.93 ¥281

33.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$14.42 ¥96.6

18.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.97 ¥40.02

91.12%

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

$997 €869

$289 ¥1,933

245.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$25.6K ¥171.4K

-35.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$39.91 ¥267

132.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$29.45 ¥197

39.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$65.3 ¥437

70.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$63.8 ¥427

96.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$286 ¥1,914

497.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$179 ¥1,202

616.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$615 ¥4,118

317.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$370 ¥2,476

425.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,051 ¥20.4K

150.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,935 ¥13.0K

167.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.34

-5.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $286 in Nanchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Nanchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $213 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 269% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $671 including rent). Nanchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,007 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $286 in Nanchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $289 in Nanchong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Nanchong versus $2,476 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 269% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.