Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanning Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nanning

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $731 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,596 in Nanning.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 239% more expensive than in Nanning, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Nanning is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.22

$3.07 ¥20.54

510.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.1

$20.35 ¥136

241.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.92

$5.62 ¥37.65

145.02%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$2.41 ¥16.14

28.63%

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

$2.83 €2.45

$0.59 ¥3.95

379.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$0.27 ¥1.78

596.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.45

$0.91 ¥6.09

337.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.92

$2.26 ¥15.14

100.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.24 ¥14.99

-43.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$2.20 ¥14.75

-1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.11 ¥7.42

58.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$2.03 ¥13.57

152.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.48

$10.59 ¥70.9

68.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.36

$3.89 ¥26.08

148.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.44

$17.21 ¥115

17.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$1.79 ¥11.96

81.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$1.31 ¥8.78

70.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$1.51 ¥10.13

72.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$1.66 ¥11.14

66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.91 ¥6.07

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.17 ¥7.81

81.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.53 ¥3.57

192.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.62 ¥4.17

53.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.36

$4.19 ¥28.05

75.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$14.77 ¥99.0

-45.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$0.97 ¥6.51

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$1.58 ¥10.57

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.69

$0.50 ¥3.33

522.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.39

$15.85 ¥106

63.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.83

$1.30 ¥8.72

151.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.28

$0.47 ¥3.13

214.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.67

$7.36 ¥49.31

365.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.24 ¥8.31

39.52%

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

$36.4K €31.5K

$23.3K ¥156.1K

56.06%

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

$30.5K €26.4K

$13.5K ¥90.2K

126.68%

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

$187 €162

$32.95 ¥221

467.77%

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

$15.14 €13.11

$14.29 ¥95.7

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.62

$10.48 ¥70.2

259.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.43

$75.7 ¥507

-26.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.79

$7.39 ¥49.50

131.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.88

$6.59 ¥44.16

73.14%

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

$997 €863

$300 ¥2,009

232.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$4,500 ¥30.1K

267.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.2

$19.97 ¥134

363.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.69

$30.13 ¥202

36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.3

$64.9 ¥434

71.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$73.9 ¥495

69.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,478

$249 ¥1,671

584.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,113

$153 ¥1,022

743.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,221

$376 ¥2,515

583.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,681

$294 ¥1,968

560.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,620

$3,414 ¥22.9K

124.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,473

$1,555 ¥10.4K

232.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,033

$667 ¥4,468

252.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.63

-12.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Nanning: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $249 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 252% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $243 per month, with Nanning 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 Nanning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nanning differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $731 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 252% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $249 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $300 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $731 in Nanning versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning 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 Nanning 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 Nanning gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.