Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Putian Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Putian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $727 in Putian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,149 in Putian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,570 in Putian.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than Putian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Putian is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$2.13 ¥14.57

728.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$23.12 ¥158

194.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$5.64 ¥38.55

147.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$2.71 ¥18.52

1.85%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$0.40 ¥2.75

590.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.29 ¥1.99

579.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$0.72 ¥4.94

529.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.86 ¥19.51

58.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.85 ¥12.62

-32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.14 ¥14.60

-4.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$0.78 ¥5.32

144.87%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$1.32 ¥9.03

156.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$11.34 ¥77.5

61.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$2.34 ¥15.97

301.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$11.20 ¥76.5

68.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.40 ¥16.39

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.33 ¥9.08

80.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.51 ¥10.32

40.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$1.87 ¥12.74

44.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.96 ¥6.57

113.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$1.69 ¥11.56

5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.82 ¥5.61

79.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.55 ¥3.76

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$2.74 ¥18.74

155.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$10.93 ¥74.7

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.76 ¥5.18

89.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.60 ¥10.95

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.29 ¥2.00

913.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$16.83 ¥115

74.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$1.36 ¥9.32

233.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$0.28 ¥1.92

664.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$6.79 ¥46.38

326.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.13 ¥7.72

67.26%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$16.2K ¥110.7K

140.91%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$17.8K ¥121.5K

82.42%

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

$189 €160

$39.24 ¥268

381.17%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$9.89 ¥67.6

124.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$11.92 ¥81.4

206.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$42.48 ¥290

36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

$13.75 ¥93.9

54.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$9.21 ¥62.9

19.54%

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

$731 €621

$463 ¥3,161

57.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$16.9K ¥115.4K

-12.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$43.01 ¥294

107.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$26.71 ¥182

39.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$83.9 ¥573

24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$78.8 ¥538

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$284 ¥1,938

446.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$187 ¥1,277

550.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$600 ¥4,095

366.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$356 ¥2,434

463.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

$2,554 ¥17.4K

180.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

$2,003 ¥13.7K

150.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

$452 ¥3,090

444.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.56

-4.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Putian: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $284 in Putian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 444% 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 in Barcelona vs $23 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $208 per month, with Putian 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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Putian differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $727 including rent). Putian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 444% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $284 in Putian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $463 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Putian versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Putian 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 Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.