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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $783 in Quanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Quanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,481 in Quanzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 199% more expensive than Quanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Quanzhou is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.12 ¥14.49

730.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$23.35 ¥160

194.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.64 ¥38.62

143.79%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.73 ¥18.69

1.10%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.48 ¥3.29

479.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 ¥1.83

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.40 ¥9.59

229.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.97 ¥20.35

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.42 ¥9.72

-9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.71 ¥4.88

197.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.75 ¥5.17

162.67%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.18 ¥8.07

191.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.96 ¥75.1

71.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.39 ¥16.37

295.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.29 ¥77.4

68.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.46 ¥16.84

10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.08 ¥7.40

119.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.52 ¥10.40

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.85 ¥12.65

49.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.91 ¥6.23

116.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.64 ¥11.21

9.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.82 ¥5.65

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.52 ¥3.53

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.75 ¥18.86

145.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.45 ¥51.0

1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.80 ¥5.48

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.58 ¥10.81

52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.27 ¥1.84

1022.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$33.15 ¥227

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.14 ¥7.80

288.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.26 ¥1.77

688.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.86 ¥47.02

327.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.13 ¥7.72

67.26%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$15.3K ¥104.5K

153.88%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$13.7K ¥93.6K

136.73%

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

$189 €161

$39.48 ¥270

377.68%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$4.06 ¥27.79

447.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$9.93 ¥68.0

270.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$55.3 ¥379

4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$28.31 ¥194

-25.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.63 ¥38.56

96.27%

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

$726 €622

$114 ¥784

534.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$21.1K ¥144.5K

-27.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$28.13 ¥193

213.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$26.55 ¥182

39.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$86.6 ¥593

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$80.9 ¥554

47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$241 ¥1,648

534.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$251 ¥1,719

385.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$423 ¥2,900

560.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$296 ¥2,026

585.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,880 ¥19.7K

146.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,972 ¥13.5K

145.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$750 ¥5,141

220.35%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $241 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 220% 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 $23.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 199% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $783 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 220% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $241 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $114 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 $783 in Quanzhou versus $2,341 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 199% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.