Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shaoxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shaoxing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $676 in Shaoxing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in Shaoxing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,480 in Shaoxing.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 243% more expensive than in Shaoxing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shaoxing is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.83 ¥19.13

524.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$21.26 ¥144

227.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.29 ¥29.00

230.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.81 ¥18.98

-0.36%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.44 ¥2.97

538.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 ¥1.77

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.68 ¥4.61

576.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.65 ¥11.17

184.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.26 ¥15.27

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.12 ¥14.33

-4.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.77 ¥5.17

157.14%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.53 ¥10.34

128.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.71 ¥52.1

137.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.82 ¥19.04

248.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.96 ¥60.5

113.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.89 ¥12.76

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.38 ¥9.36

72.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.59 ¥10.77

30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.17 ¥7.90

135.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.94 ¥6.33

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.97 ¥6.54

84.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.76 ¥5.16

94.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 ¥4.13

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.43 ¥23.18

107.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.21 ¥69.0

-22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.74 ¥5.02

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.49 ¥10.08

60.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.81

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.86 ¥114

74.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.52 ¥10.25

186.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.39 ¥2.61

446.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.42 ¥56.9

251.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.18 ¥7.95

54.24%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

118.48%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$14.2K ¥96.3K

127.25%

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

$189 €166

$42.53 ¥287

344.46%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$10.97 ¥74.1

103.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$10.95 ¥74.0

239.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.03 ¥277

41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.12 ¥95.4

46.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.64 ¥38.13

92.73%

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

$706 €618

$407 ¥2,753

73.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$18.5K ¥124.8K

-19.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$42.88 ¥290

108.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.15 ¥204

21.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$69.5 ¥469

49.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$65.5 ¥442

82.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$277 ¥1,871

470.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$187 ¥1,267

560.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$602 ¥4,069

350.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$364 ¥2,460

460.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,105 ¥21.0K

142.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,850 ¥12.5K

183.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$916 ¥6,191

158.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $277 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 158% 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 $21.00 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $189 per month, with Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shaoxing differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $676 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 158% 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 $277 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $407 in Shaoxing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $676 in Shaoxing versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.