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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $709 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,064 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,419 in Shenyang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 249% more expensive than in Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Shenyang is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.01 ¥20.19

522.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$22.18 ¥149

213.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.18 ¥34.69

165.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.37 ¥15.89

30.80%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.50 ¥3.35

466.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.35 ¥2.37

437.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.91 ¥6.13

337.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.87 ¥12.54

142.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.91 ¥12.80

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.47 ¥16.52

-12.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.06 ¥7.08

66.04%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.01 ¥6.80

407.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.87 ¥79.5

69.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.79 ¥11.96

81.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.22 ¥8.19

82.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.47 ¥9.84

87.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.58 ¥3.85

167.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.64 ¥4.29

48.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.73 ¥25.01

96.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.89 ¥113

-52.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.69 ¥4.64

123.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.13 ¥7.58

146.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.38 ¥2.55

718.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$12.59 ¥84.3

105.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.31 ¥8.76

149.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.11

377.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.06 ¥20.46

1019.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.21 ¥8.12

42.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.7K ¥131.7K

84.97%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.3K ¥122.4K

67.11%

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

$187 €163

$75.2 ¥504

148.68%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$15.66 ¥105

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$15.20 ¥102

147.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$22.77 ¥152

145.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$10.83 ¥72.5

57.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.90 ¥39.52

93.39%

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

$997 €869

$554 ¥3,712

79.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$21.5K ¥143.9K

-23.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$41.82 ¥280

121.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$60.2 ¥403

84.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$68.3 ¥458

83.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$273 ¥1,827

525.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$242 ¥1,619

432.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$576 ¥3,857

345.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$399 ¥2,670

387.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,301 ¥15.4K

232.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,316 ¥8,815

292.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,109 ¥7,427

111.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.37

-27.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $273 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 112% 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 $22.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $161 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 249% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $709 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% 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 $273 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $554 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Shenyang versus $2,476 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 249% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.