Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $969 in Suzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,586 in Suzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,204 in Suzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 139% more expensive than in Suzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Suzhou is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.11 ¥27.84

329.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$41.41 ¥280

68.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$5.52 ¥37.33

156.52%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.85 ¥26.07

-27.27%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.69 ¥11.41

66.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.78 ¥5.26

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$4.23 ¥28.64

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$5.42 ¥36.68

-13.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.43 ¥16.46

-49.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.39 ¥16.17

-15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.12 ¥7.59

76.79%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.06 ¥13.92

69.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$20.81 ¥141

-11.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$3.74 ¥25.29

162.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$7.59 ¥51.4

152.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.12 ¥14.32

28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.58 ¥10.67

50.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.57 ¥10.65

32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.31 ¥8.86

109.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.68 ¥4.63

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.15 ¥7.76

55.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.99 ¥6.73

49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 ¥3.43

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.09 ¥27.67

74.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$10.36 ¥70.1

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.87 ¥5.87

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.75 ¥18.58

-13.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.29 ¥1.98

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$42.18 ¥285

-30.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.78 ¥12.03

144.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 ¥2.22

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.56 ¥57.9

245.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.14 ¥7.71

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$21.2K ¥143.5K

78.66%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$23.9K ¥162.0K

35.30%

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

$189 €165

$118 ¥801

59.78%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$15.12 ¥102

47.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$11.46 ¥77.5

224.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$64.7 ¥438

-10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$19.10 ¥129

8.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.80 ¥46.03

59.85%

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

$706 €618

$781 ¥5,286

-9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

-12.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$53.2 ¥360

67.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$35.25 ¥239

3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$72.3 ¥489

43.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$93.8 ¥635

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$403 ¥2,727

291.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$206 ¥1,392

501.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$966 ¥6,541

180.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$527 ¥3,567

286.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$5,406 ¥36.6K

39.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,701 ¥18.3K

93.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,338 ¥9,056

76.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.86

-12.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $403 in Suzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 77% 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 $41.00 in Suzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $243 per month, with Suzhou 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Suzhou differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $969 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $403 in Suzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $781 in Suzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $969 in Suzhou versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou 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 Suzhou 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 Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.