Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shijiazhuang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shijiazhuang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $677 in Shijiazhuang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,023 in Shijiazhuang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,369 in Shijiazhuang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 269% more expensive than in Shijiazhuang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Shijiazhuang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$1.74 ¥11.67

956.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$18.51 ¥124

273.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.48 ¥36.77

157.85%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.22 ¥21.63

-2.80%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.47 ¥3.12

542.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.25 ¥1.66

684.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.83 ¥5.60

381.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.67 ¥11.19

185.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.28 ¥8.56

-2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.13 ¥7.58

91.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.72 ¥4.85

134.72%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.23 ¥8.22

300.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$16.15 ¥108

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$2.66 ¥17.86

261.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.41 ¥63.2

105.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.62 ¥10.84

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.16 ¥7.81

87.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.76 ¥5.08

251.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.21 ¥8.11

128.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.60 ¥4.05

268.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.61 ¥4.10

259.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.61 ¥4.09

149.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.43 ¥2.91

113.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.63 ¥24.32

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$3.74 ¥25.10

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.78 ¥5.20

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$0.76 ¥5.12

265.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.08

916.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$17.86 ¥120

51.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.17 ¥7.87

177.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.38 ¥2.52

294.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$3.48 ¥23.33

902.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.23 ¥8.23

42.28%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$18.9K ¥127.0K

93.67%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$16.9K ¥113.3K

83.29%

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

$188 €161

$94.5 ¥634

98.51%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$4.20 ¥28.15

267.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$6.77 ¥45.41

458.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$13.45 ¥90.3

325.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$14.65 ¥98.3

14.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.52 ¥37.03

109.78%

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

$1,003 €862

$371 ¥2,492

169.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,269 ¥35.4K

222.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$49.12 ¥330

81.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$25.91 ¥174

57.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$73.2 ¥491

50.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$54.1 ¥363

126.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$285 ¥1,914

486.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$184 ¥1,235

623.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$411 ¥2,757

531.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$278 ¥1,866

601.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,452 ¥16.5K

208.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,699 ¥11.4K

216.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$823 ¥5,520

191.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.31

-4.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Shijiazhuang: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $285 in Shijiazhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 192% 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 $19.00 in Shijiazhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $170 per month, with Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shijiazhuang differ by about 269% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $677 including rent). Shijiazhuang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $285 in Shijiazhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $371 in Shijiazhuang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $677 in Shijiazhuang versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.