Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shenzhen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shenzhen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,037 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,659 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,280 in Shenzhen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shenzhen is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.13 ¥21.18

461.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$27.51 ¥186

148.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.06 ¥34.26

177.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.33 ¥22.52

-16.52%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.48 ¥3.25

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.28 ¥1.89

635.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.22 ¥8.29

265.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.83 ¥19.14

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.73 ¥11.72

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.97 ¥13.36

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.23 ¥8.35

56.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.94 ¥13.10

70.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.76 ¥86.3

44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.05 ¥27.43

134.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.47 ¥91.2

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.88 ¥12.69

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.41 ¥9.54

73.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.82 ¥12.33

16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.34 ¥9.09

112.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.05 ¥7.10

94.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.46 ¥9.91

26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.71 ¥4.78

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ¥3.83

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.38 ¥22.88

111.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$12.92 ¥87.4

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.94 ¥6.39

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.87 ¥12.65

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.40 ¥2.72

645.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$21.76 ¥147

34.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.63 ¥11.02

182.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.35 ¥2.36

491.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$7.02 ¥47.49

315.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 ¥7.99

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.9K ¥154.9K

70.44%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.7K ¥140.3K

57.72%

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

$188 €162

$65.3 ¥442

187.49%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.20 ¥55.5

179.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$13.05 ¥88.3

181.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$50.3 ¥340

14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$17.39 ¥118

19.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.86 ¥46.46

63.12%

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

$721 €621

$457 ¥3,092

57.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$20.8K ¥141.1K

-27.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$49.25 ¥333

75.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.67 ¥208

20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$74.2 ¥502

37.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$80.2 ¥543

44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$737 ¥4,987

108.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$411 ¥2,783

196.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,692 ¥11.4K

59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$903 ¥6,112

122.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$13.1K ¥89.0K

-45.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$6,222 ¥42.1K

-16.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,665 ¥11.3K

41.67%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $737 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 42% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $230 per month, with Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shenzhen differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,037 including rent). Shenzhen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 42% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $737 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $457 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,037 in Shenzhen versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.