Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shenyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shenyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $668 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,494 in Shenyang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 250% more expensive than Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shenyang is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.71 ¥18.32

530.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$20.70 ¥140

234.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.93 ¥33.36

179.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.56 ¥17.31

7.81%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.48 ¥3.26

481.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.34 ¥2.31

485.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.81 ¥5.50

438.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.08 ¥14.06

127.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.96 ¥13.23

-34.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.96 ¥13.25

4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.99 ¥6.66

101.01%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.11 ¥7.49

205.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.98 ¥67.5

88.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.78 ¥18.77

236.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.03 ¥81.4

58.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.39 ¥9.43

94.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.02 ¥6.89

129.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.86 ¥5.84

146.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.28 ¥8.65

122.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.47 ¥3.21

319.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.66 ¥4.47

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.40 ¥2.70

262.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.63 ¥4.24

36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.07 ¥20.74

120.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$16.86 ¥114

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.72 ¥4.90

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.90 ¥6.07

163.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.34 ¥2.30

758.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$12.00 ¥81.1

139.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.28 ¥8.69

248.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.28 ¥1.91

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$3.58 ¥24.20

725.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.19 ¥8.05

52.94%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$18.3K ¥123.4K

112.74%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

74.04%

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

$189 €163

$66.4 ¥449

185.20%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$14.83 ¥100

53.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$14.01 ¥94.7

168.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$21.11 ¥143

173.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$6.30 ¥42.58

229.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.00 ¥33.79

116.40%

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

$728 €628

$461 ¥3,116

58.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$24.9K ¥168.2K

-40.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$48.45 ¥328

82.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$31.22 ¥211

18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$75.6 ¥511

35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$79.6 ¥538

45.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$231 ¥1,564

578.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$143 ¥970

749.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$518 ¥3,504

439.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$341 ¥2,305

479.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,294 ¥15.5K

237.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,315 ¥8,893

293.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,100 ¥7,441

112.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.27

-35.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $231 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 113% 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 $21.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $201 per month, with Shenyang 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shenyang differ by about 250% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $668 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 113% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $231 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $461 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $668 in Shenyang versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang 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 Shenyang 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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.