Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shantou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shantou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $705 in Shantou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,103 in Shantou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,500 in Shantou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 229% more expensive than in Shantou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shantou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.03 ¥13.71

769.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$16.87 ¥114

312.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.97 ¥33.57

184.91%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.24 ¥21.92

-13.58%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.47 ¥3.20

497.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.30 ¥2.05

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.80 ¥5.42

475.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.67 ¥18.07

75.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.69 ¥11.39

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.37 ¥9.26

48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.71 ¥4.82

178.87%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.86 ¥12.58

87.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.66 ¥85.5

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.76 ¥25.40

161.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.25 ¥82.8

56.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.88 ¥12.72

45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.43 ¥9.66

66.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.68 ¥11.34

23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.28 ¥8.62

114.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.78 ¥5.27

151.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.95 ¥6.42

88.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.68 ¥4.58

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.43 ¥2.91

111.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.39 ¥22.89

110.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.39 ¥83.7

-36.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.83 ¥5.62

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.82 ¥12.33

31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.36 ¥2.46

736.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$22.01 ¥149

33.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.54 ¥10.41

183.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.36 ¥2.41

491.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.69 ¥45.24

342.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.14 ¥7.71

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$21.1K ¥142.7K

79.46%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$19.5K ¥131.5K

66.44%

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

$189 €166

$53.3 ¥360

254.85%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.53 ¥57.6

161.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$12.89 ¥87.1

188.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.05 ¥277

41.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.13 ¥95.5

46.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.78 ¥45.85

60.32%

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

$706 €618

$450 ¥3,038

57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$20.2K ¥136.5K

-26.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$49.29 ¥333

81.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.86 ¥202

22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$75.6 ¥511

37.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$77.8 ¥526

53.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$280 ¥1,894

463.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$139 ¥937

793.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$567 ¥3,829

378.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$281 ¥1,901

624.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,249 ¥15.2K

234.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,385 ¥29.6K

19.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,037 ¥7,009

127.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.04

-16.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shantou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $280 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 128% 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 $17.00 in Shantou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $210 per month, with Shantou 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 Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shantou differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $705 including rent). Shantou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 128% 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 $280 in Shantou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $450 in Shantou. 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 $705 in Shantou versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shantou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shantou 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 Shantou 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 Shantou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.