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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $830 in Nanjing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,302 in Nanjing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,773 in Nanjing.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 185% more expensive than Nanjing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nanjing is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.72 ¥18.42

546.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.36 ¥151

206.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.80 ¥32.48

192.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.12 ¥21.15

-10.90%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.45 ¥3.03

522.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.24 ¥1.62

758.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.82 ¥5.58

443.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.06 ¥13.93

123.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.33 ¥15.76

-46.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.16 ¥14.65

-6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.77 ¥5.22

149.35%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.49 ¥10.12

122.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.23 ¥62.5

99.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.75 ¥18.63

245.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.96 ¥60.6

113.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.22 ¥15.02

18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.42 ¥9.63

72.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.63 ¥11.04

30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.20 ¥8.12

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.92 ¥6.23

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.91 ¥6.17

103.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.83 ¥5.59

77.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ¥3.86

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.52 ¥23.82

102.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.05 ¥88.3

-39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.92 ¥6.20

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.51 ¥10.20

52.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.82

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$27.67 ¥187

5.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.57 ¥10.60

192.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.36 ¥2.43

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$8.41 ¥56.9

246.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.61

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$17.0K ¥114.8K

129.98%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$14.7K ¥99.2K

123.07%

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

$188 €162

$42.34 ¥287

343.60%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$10.72 ¥72.6

113.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$10.92 ¥73.9

236.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$26.44 ¥179

116.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$29.37 ¥199

-29.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.41 ¥36.65

106.84%

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

$721 €621

$406 ¥2,748

77.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-18.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$42.23 ¥286

104.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$33.05 ¥224

12.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$67.2 ¥455

51.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$84.6 ¥573

37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$425 ¥2,880

260.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$300 ¥2,029

307.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$911 ¥6,169

195.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$541 ¥3,664

271.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$5,311 ¥35.9K

35.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,154 ¥21.3K

64.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,388 ¥9,395

69.98%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $425 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 70% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 185% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $830 including rent). Nanjing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 70% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $425 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $406 in Nanjing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $830 in Nanjing versus $2,367 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 185% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.