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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $823 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,331 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,840 in Ningbo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 187% more expensive than Ningbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ningbo is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.21 ¥21.76

447.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.85 ¥168

175.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.29 ¥29.04

227.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.14 ¥21.26

-11.46%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.45 ¥3.04

522.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.75

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.89 ¥6.00

401.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.05 ¥13.89

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.00 ¥13.53

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.81 ¥19.01

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.83 ¥5.64

131.33%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.38 ¥9.35

139.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$21.27 ¥144

-13.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.96 ¥33.61

91.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$11.66 ¥79.0

64.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.96 ¥13.27

34.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.42 ¥9.59

72.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.23 ¥15.09

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.10 ¥7.46

159.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.62 ¥4.22

229.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.81 ¥5.46

128.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.59 ¥4.01

149.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.61 ¥4.12

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.37 ¥36.36

32.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.98 ¥54.1

-1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 ¥7.74

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.95 ¥13.18

18.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.81

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.39 ¥111

78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.64 ¥11.08

180.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.32 ¥2.19

546.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$6.89 ¥46.66

323.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.15 ¥7.80

60.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.9K ¥148.6K

77.83%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.5K ¥132.0K

67.81%

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

$188 €162

$65.3 ¥442

187.54%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$15.43 ¥105

48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$6.98 ¥47.28

425.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$21.89 ¥148

162.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.03 ¥88.3

58.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.25 ¥55.9

35.64%

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

$721 €621

$599 ¥4,055

20.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$15.6K ¥105.8K

-3.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$42.73 ¥289

101.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$28.84 ¥195

28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$69.7 ¥472

46.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$62.3 ¥422

86.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$373 ¥2,527

311.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$258 ¥1,745

373.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$879 ¥5,952

206.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$493 ¥3,339

308.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,638 ¥31.4K

55.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,605 ¥17.6K

99.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,193 ¥8,083

97.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.85

-30.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $373 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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 $25.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $252 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 187% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $823 including rent). Ningbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 98% 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 $373 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $599 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $823 in Ningbo versus $2,367 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 187% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.