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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $684 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,101 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,518 in Nanning.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 245% more expensive than in Nanning, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nanning is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$2.78 ¥18.76

516.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$18.96 ¥128

258.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.21 ¥35.17

161.80%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.28 ¥15.37

21.93%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.51 ¥3.44

452.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.25 ¥1.67

684.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$0.80 ¥5.39

453.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.32 ¥15.66

98.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.72 ¥11.59

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.06 ¥7.13

100.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.02 ¥6.91

95.10%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.54 ¥10.38

118.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$9.41 ¥63.5

101.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.26 ¥22.00

192.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$15.09 ¥102

24.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.94 ¥13.11

36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.10 ¥7.42

113.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.21 ¥8.15

72.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.70 ¥11.50

60.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.85 ¥5.75

130.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.12 ¥7.60

61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.46 ¥3.12

228.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.50 ¥3.38

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.54 ¥23.91

91.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$14.81 ¥100

-46.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.84 ¥5.70

63.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.83 ¥12.37

31.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.48 ¥3.24

506.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$14.35 ¥96.9

99.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.23 ¥8.28

272.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.37 ¥2.47

451.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$7.85 ¥53.0

265.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.15 ¥7.79

58.26%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$21.1K ¥142.4K

86.47%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$12.6K ¥85.1K

157.73%

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

$187 €163

$40.01 ¥270

366.46%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$13.00 ¥87.8

71.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$10.89 ¥73.6

233.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$70.5 ¥476

-18.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$6.90 ¥46.61

200.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$5.72 ¥38.67

88.29%

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

$725 €632

$301 ¥2,030

141.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$14.1K ¥95.0K

7.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$18.89 ¥128

365.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$28.40 ¥192

29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$63.9 ¥431

61.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 ¥687

16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$231 ¥1,563

558.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$141 ¥955

767.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$360 ¥2,434

656.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$276 ¥1,862

619.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$3,517 ¥23.8K

112.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,446 ¥9,764

262.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$666 ¥4,502

259.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.18

-18.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nanning: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $231 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 259% 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 $19.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $208 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 245% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $684 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 259% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $231 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $301 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $684 in Nanning versus $2,359 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 245% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.