Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanjing Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanjing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $838 in Nanjing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,314 in Nanjing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,791 in Nanjing.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 177% more expensive than in Nanjing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Nanjing is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.86 ¥19.32

517.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$22.34 ¥151

211.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.79 ¥32.36

195.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.17 ¥21.45

-11.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.41 ¥2.77

585.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 ¥1.76

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.86 ¥5.81

434.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.04 ¥13.76

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.31 ¥15.62

-46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.16 ¥14.57

-6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.83 ¥5.59

138.55%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.54 ¥10.39

126.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.92 ¥60.3

105.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.73 ¥18.46

260.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.14 ¥61.8

109.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.22 ¥15.02

22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.38 ¥9.33

72.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.61 ¥10.86

29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.15 ¥7.78

139.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.86 ¥5.83

127.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.97 ¥6.58

84.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.87 ¥5.87

70.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 ¥4.12

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.58 ¥24.22

99.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.08 ¥88.4

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.92 ¥6.24

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.49 ¥10.04

60.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.82

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$27.63 ¥187

6.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.56 ¥10.57

179.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.36 ¥2.41

491.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.27 ¥55.9

257.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.17 ¥7.90

55.56%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

117.78%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$14.6K ¥98.8K

121.45%

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

$189 €166

$42.14 ¥285

348.58%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$11.04 ¥74.6

101.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.01 ¥74.4

237.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.17 ¥177

121.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$28.55 ¥193

-27.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.47 ¥36.96

98.72%

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

$706 €618

$410 ¥2,768

72.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$42.77 ¥289

109.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$32.33 ¥218

13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$69.3 ¥468

50.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$84.4 ¥570

41.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$428 ¥2,891

268.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$308 ¥2,080

302.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$888 ¥6,000

205.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$552 ¥3,729

269.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,328 ¥36.0K

41.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,074 ¥20.8K

70.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,341 ¥9,063

76.26%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $428 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $203 per month, with Nanjing 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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nanjing differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $838 including rent). Nanjing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $428 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $410 in Nanjing. 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 $838 in Nanjing versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.