Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ningbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ningbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $704 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,203 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Ningbo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 254% more expensive than in Ningbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Ningbo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.80 ¥18.79

556.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$29.65 ¥199

133.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.48 ¥29.99

215.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.41 ¥22.82

-8.21%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.47 ¥3.17

542.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 ¥1.92

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.05 ¥7.05

280.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.43 ¥22.97

38.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.82 ¥12.18

-31.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.14 ¥7.63

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.68 ¥4.55

148.53%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.56 ¥10.47

216.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$18.23 ¥122

-1.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$3.75 ¥25.10

156.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$8.63 ¥57.8

124.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.07 ¥7.15

202.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.53 ¥10.22

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.50 ¥10.05

78.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.21 ¥8.14

128.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.61 ¥4.07

262.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.71 ¥4.74

208.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.65 ¥4.33

133.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.58 ¥3.90

58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$4.52 ¥30.30

57.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$8.24 ¥55.3

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.81 ¥5.44

85.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.46 ¥9.80

90.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.09

916.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$16.62 ¥111

62.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.68 ¥11.26

93.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.38 ¥2.52

294.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$7.26 ¥48.65

380.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.25 ¥8.35

40.00%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.1K ¥128.2K

91.64%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.7K ¥118.9K

74.36%

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

$188 €161

$50.7 ¥340

269.93%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$6.53 ¥43.74

136.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$7.86 ¥52.7

380.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$25.30 ¥170

126.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$14.30 ¥95.8

17.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$7.86 ¥52.7

47.33%

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

$1,003 €863

$954 ¥6,390

5.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$15.9K ¥106.4K

7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$64.3 ¥431

38.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$26.19 ¥176

56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$62.0 ¥416

77.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$52.1 ¥349

135.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$351 ¥2,355

376.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$181 ¥1,215

634.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$770 ¥5,162

236.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$463 ¥3,105

320.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,889 ¥26.1K

94.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,049 ¥13.7K

162.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,169 ¥7,834

105.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.18

-0.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $351 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 105% 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 $30.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $201 per month, with Ningbo 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ningbo differ by about 254% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $704 including rent). Ningbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $351 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $954 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $704 in Ningbo versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo 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 Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.