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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $700 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,090 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,480 in Nanning.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 235% more expensive than Nanning, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Nanning is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.81 ¥19.28

526.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$19.16 ¥131

258.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.07 ¥34.70

171.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.26 ¥15.50

22.12%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.51 ¥3.49

445.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.25 ¥1.70

720.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$0.80 ¥5.48

476.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.34 ¥16.03

96.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.69 ¥11.59

-24.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.10 ¥7.55

91.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.03 ¥7.07

91.26%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.53 ¥10.50

124.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.31 ¥63.8

102.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.30 ¥22.58

186.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.22 ¥104

24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.86 ¥12.77

46.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.10 ¥7.56

115.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.18 ¥8.11

76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.63 ¥11.16

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.91 ¥6.23

116.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.08 ¥7.40

65.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.44 ¥2.99

243.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.72

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.49 ¥23.91

93.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$14.57 ¥99.8

-48.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.89 ¥6.07

61.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.84 ¥12.62

30.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.51 ¥3.51

494.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$14.46 ¥99.1

96.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.29 ¥8.81

243.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.39 ¥2.68

425.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$7.76 ¥53.2

277.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.14 ¥7.82

65.79%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$21.6K ¥147.9K

79.48%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$12.7K ¥86.7K

155.54%

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

$189 €161

$40.21 ¥275

369.01%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$13.13 ¥90.0

69.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$10.78 ¥73.8

241.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$69.1 ¥473

-16.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$6.89 ¥47.17

204.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.73 ¥39.24

92.84%

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

$726 €622

$298 ¥2,040

143.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$13.9K ¥95.2K

9.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$18.85 ¥129

368.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$28.25 ¥193

30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$65.6 ¥449

56.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$104 ¥713

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$234 ¥1,604

551.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$147 ¥1,005

730.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$353 ¥2,415

692.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$277 ¥1,895

632.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,469 ¥23.8K

104.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,399 ¥9,583

246.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$663 ¥4,544

262.45%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nanning: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $234 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 262% 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 $320 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 235% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $700 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 262% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $234 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $298 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 $700 in Nanning versus $2,341 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 235% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.