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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $693 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,089 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,484 in Nanning.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than Nanning, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Nanning is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.73 ¥18.49

525.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$19.02 ¥129

264.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.30 ¥35.84

160.00%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.20 ¥14.89

25.45%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.56 ¥3.76

398.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.27 ¥1.84

637.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.82 ¥5.54

431.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.33 ¥15.73

103.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.70 ¥11.53

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.10 ¥7.43

86.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.03 ¥6.99

93.20%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.55 ¥10.48

118.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.18 ¥62.1

104.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.38 ¥22.88

176.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.80 ¥100

29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.95 ¥13.15

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.06 ¥7.20

120.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.20 ¥8.12

76.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.62 ¥10.96

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.86 ¥5.82

129.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.14 ¥7.69

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.46 ¥3.12

215.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.51 ¥3.43

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.56 ¥24.04

90.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.57 ¥98.5

-45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.86 ¥5.81

61.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.80 ¥12.16

31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.50 ¥3.41

484.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$14.72 ¥99.5

94.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.27 ¥8.57

251.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.36 ¥2.46

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.47 ¥50.5

295.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.14 ¥7.70

59.65%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.4K ¥144.7K

81.40%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$12.7K ¥85.7K

161.19%

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

$189 €163

$39.71 ¥269

376.53%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.27 ¥89.7

71.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$10.77 ¥72.8

249.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$68.8 ¥465

-16.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$6.77 ¥45.75

206.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.66 ¥38.25

91.17%

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

$728 €628

$299 ¥2,019

143.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$14.0K ¥94.5K

5.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$18.85 ¥127

370.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$27.69 ¥187

33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$63.8 ¥431

60.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$102 ¥688

14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$236 ¥1,597

564.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$146 ¥990

732.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$350 ¥2,366

699.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$272 ¥1,840

625.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,469 ¥23.5K

123.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,453 ¥9,822

256.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$678 ¥4,583

245.76%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nanning: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $236 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 246% 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 $19.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $206 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 237% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $693 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 246% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $236 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $299 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $693 in Nanning versus $2,337 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 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.