Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quanzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quanzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $774 in Quanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Quanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,510 in Quanzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 205% more expensive than in Quanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Quanzhou is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.14 ¥14.48

701.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$23.42 ¥158

190.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.74 ¥38.72

137.63%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.71 ¥18.31

2.58%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.51 ¥3.45

452.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.27 ¥1.82

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.41 ¥9.53

214.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.98 ¥20.11

54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.35 ¥9.12

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.73 ¥4.92

191.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.77 ¥5.18

158.44%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.13 ¥7.65

198.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.35 ¥76.6

67.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.27 ¥15.35

319.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.99 ¥74.2

70.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.48 ¥16.72

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.14 ¥7.68

106.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.49 ¥10.05

40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.93 ¥13.00

41.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.97 ¥6.54

102.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.72 ¥11.60

5.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.81 ¥5.45

86.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.67

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.87 ¥19.38

136.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.22 ¥48.75

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.79 ¥5.35

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.58 ¥10.67

51.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.29 ¥1.96

903.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$33.49 ¥226

-14.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.13 ¥7.63

305.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.26 ¥1.74

684.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.48 ¥43.77

343.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.16 ¥7.84

56.90%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$15.5K ¥104.3K

154.36%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$14.0K ¥94.2K

132.75%

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

$187 €162

$38.59 ¥261

383.62%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$4.16 ¥28.09

435.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.41 ¥77.0

218.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.61 ¥281

38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$28.00 ¥189

-25.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.55 ¥37.46

94.05%

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

$725 €628

$116 ¥781

526.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$16.0K ¥108.0K

-5.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$28.38 ¥192

209.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$26.83 ¥181

37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$83.3 ¥562

24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$80.9 ¥546

46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$239 ¥1,613

537.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$254 ¥1,713

383.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$421 ¥2,843

547.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$301 ¥2,035

558.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,980 ¥20.1K

150.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,994 ¥13.5K

162.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$814 ¥5,493

194.04%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $239 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 194% 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 $23.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $179 per month, with Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Quanzhou differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $774 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 194% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $239 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $116 in Quanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Quanzhou versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quanzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.