Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nantong Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nantong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $624 in Nantong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Nantong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,432 in Nantong.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 279% more expensive than Nantong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nantong is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.72 ¥18.41

546.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.19 ¥150

208.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.56 ¥30.84

208.33%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.54 ¥17.17

9.45%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.41 ¥2.79

582.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.77

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.68 ¥4.57

555.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.03 ¥13.76

127.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.53 ¥10.39

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.42 ¥9.60

42.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.60 ¥4.09

220.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.47 ¥9.92

125.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.53 ¥44.22

182.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.81 ¥19.00

237.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$9.06 ¥61.3

111.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.16 ¥14.64

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.39 ¥9.38

76.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.58 ¥10.71

34.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.20 ¥8.13

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.62 ¥4.23

229.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.90 ¥6.07

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.73 ¥4.95

101.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 ¥3.48

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.07 ¥20.80

132.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.73 ¥59.1

-9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.88 ¥5.97

56.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.51 ¥10.23

52.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.22 ¥1.49

1254.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$20.77 ¥141

40.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.49 ¥10.10

208.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.28 ¥1.91

639.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$8.56 ¥58.0

240.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.14 ¥7.74

61.40%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

130.39%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$14.7K ¥99.5K

122.38%

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

$188 €162

$39.15 ¥265

379.74%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.14 ¥55.1

181.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.20 ¥75.8

227.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$41.80 ¥283

37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$11.10 ¥75.1

86.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.42 ¥36.69

106.46%

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

$721 €621

$185 ¥1,251

290.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.2K ¥76.1K

33.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.98 ¥284

105.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$33.36 ¥226

11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$60.8 ¥411

67.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$82.7 ¥560

40.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$209 ¥1,412

635.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$137 ¥926

792.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$729 ¥4,934

269.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$322 ¥2,178

525.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,723 ¥25.2K

93.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,384 ¥16.1K

117.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,297 ¥8,779

81.90%

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 Nantong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $209 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 82% 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 Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $168 per month, with Nantong 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 Nantong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nantong differ by about 279% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $624 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 82% 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 $209 in Nantong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $185 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $624 in Nantong versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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 Nantong 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 Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 279% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.