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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $840 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,804 in Ningbo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 176% more expensive than in Ningbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ningbo is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.12 ¥21.08

466.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$24.61 ¥166

183.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.12 ¥27.83

243.69%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.06 ¥20.68

-8.50%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.41 ¥2.80

585.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 ¥1.76

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.94 ¥6.33

389.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.05 ¥13.88

128.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.07 ¥14.01

-40.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.71 ¥18.35

-25.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.80 ¥5.40

147.50%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.36 ¥9.16

156.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$20.53 ¥139

-10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.87 ¥32.89

101.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.06 ¥81.5

58.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.91 ¥12.90

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.41 ¥9.52

68.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.23 ¥15.07

-6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.15 ¥7.76

139.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.67 ¥4.52

192.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.79 ¥5.31

126.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.59 ¥4.00

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 ¥4.09

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.38 ¥36.32

32.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.35 ¥56.4

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.14 ¥7.73

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.04 ¥13.78

17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.29 ¥1.99

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.81 ¥114

74.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.65 ¥11.18

164.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 ¥2.21

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.98 ¥47.15

324.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.18 ¥8.00

54.24%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$21.3K ¥144.0K

77.77%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$19.7K ¥132.8K

64.73%

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

$189 €166

$64.3 ¥435

193.89%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$15.88 ¥107

40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$6.77 ¥45.78

448.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$21.69 ¥147

167.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$12.89 ¥87.1

60.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$8.44 ¥57.1

28.79%

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

$706 €618

$597 ¥4,034

18.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$15.1K ¥101.7K

-1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$42.71 ¥289

109.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.77 ¥201

22.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$69.0 ¥466

50.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$62.8 ¥425

90.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$384 ¥2,593

311.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$256 ¥1,731

383.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$860 ¥5,811

215.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$489 ¥3,306

316.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,649 ¥31.4K

61.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,583 ¥17.5K

102.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,192 ¥8,055

98.31%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $384 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $251 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $840 including rent). Ningbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $384 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $597 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $840 in Ningbo versus $2,320 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 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.