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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,032 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,649 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,266 in Shenzhen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 125% more expensive than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shenzhen is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.13 ¥21.13

464.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$27.60 ¥187

152.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.87 ¥32.92

190.76%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.32 ¥22.43

-15.66%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.48 ¥3.27

485.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.28 ¥1.89

635.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.21 ¥8.21

280.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.77 ¥18.73

69.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.75 ¥11.81

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.97 ¥13.31

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.18 ¥7.96

67.80%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.92 ¥12.94

81.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.69 ¥85.8

44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.93 ¥26.56

150.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.38 ¥90.4

42.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.87 ¥12.61

45.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.46 ¥9.89

63.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.82 ¥12.27

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.39 ¥9.42

97.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.09 ¥7.39

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.42 ¥9.59

26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.75 ¥5.04

97.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.57 ¥3.84

59.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.39 ¥22.91

110.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.61 ¥85.2

-37.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.93 ¥6.26

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.90 ¥12.86

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.44 ¥2.97

584.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$22.23 ¥150

32.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.69 ¥11.39

157.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.37 ¥2.53

475.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.75 ¥45.58

338.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.14 ¥7.70

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.7K ¥153.4K

66.87%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.7K ¥139.7K

56.58%

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

$189 €166

$65.3 ¥442

189.30%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.39 ¥56.7

165.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$13.08 ¥88.4

184.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$50.9 ¥344

13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$17.60 ¥119

17.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$7.08 ¥47.82

53.53%

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

$706 €618

$467 ¥3,154

51.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$20.7K ¥139.8K

-28.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$48.53 ¥328

84.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.27 ¥205

20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.7 ¥505

39.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$79.3 ¥536

50.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$732 ¥4,945

115.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$410 ¥2,773

201.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,699 ¥11.5K

59.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$910 ¥6,148

124.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$12.9K ¥87.3K

-41.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$6,000 ¥40.5K

-12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,720 ¥11.6K

37.45%

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 Shenzhen: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $732 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 37% 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 $28.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $229 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,032 including rent). Shenzhen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $732 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $467 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,032 in Shenzhen versus $2,320 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 125% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.