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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $801 in Quanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,202 in Quanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,602 in Quanzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 209% more expensive than in Quanzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Quanzhou is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.24 ¥15.02

736.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$29.96 ¥201

131.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.26 ¥41.94

119.97%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.30 ¥22.12

-6.06%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.49 ¥3.29

477.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 ¥1.96

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.92 ¥19.56

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.76 ¥11.77

157.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.51 ¥10.14

-15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.78 ¥5.25

176.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.94 ¥6.31

87.23%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.50 ¥10.04

242.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.31 ¥48.97

144.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.96 ¥19.85

226.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$5.09 ¥34.08

295.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.46 ¥9.80

122.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.01 ¥6.74

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.77 ¥5.15

237.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.08 ¥7.23

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.46 ¥3.10

380.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.00 ¥6.70

112.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.13 ¥0.90

1092.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.52 ¥3.45

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.24 ¥21.73

126.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.59 ¥50.8

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.92 ¥6.15

67.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.35 ¥9.05

106.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.09

903.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$23.92 ¥160

8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.21 ¥8.14

170.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.32 ¥2.17

362.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$8.85 ¥59.3

287.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.16 ¥7.80

49.14%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$18.0K ¥120.5K

102.08%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.3K ¥102.7K

99.17%

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

$187 €163

$51.9 ¥348

260.39%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$8.02 ¥53.7

88.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$12.07 ¥80.9

212.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$54.0 ¥362

3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$18.73 ¥125

-8.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.84 ¥39.12

95.38%

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

$997 €869

$517 ¥3,460

92.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$11.8K ¥79.2K

39.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$21.17 ¥142

337.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.31 ¥223

23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$91.6 ¥613

21.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$95.4 ¥639

31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$269 ¥1,800

535.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$299 ¥2,002

330.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$493 ¥3,305

419.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$401 ¥2,688

383.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,005 ¥20.1K

154.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,956 ¥13.1K

164.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$828 ¥5,545

183.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.15

0.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $269 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 184% 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 $30.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $139 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 209% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $801 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 184% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $269 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $517 in Quanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Quanzhou versus $2,476 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 209% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.