Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tangshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tangshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $706 in Tangshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,132 in Tangshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,559 in Tangshan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 253% more expensive than in Tangshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Tangshan is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.71 ¥18.20

578.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$21.93 ¥147

215.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.01 ¥33.60

182.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.97 ¥19.95

5.39%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.47 ¥3.15

542.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 ¥1.95

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.90 ¥6.03

344.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$2.10 ¥14.12

126.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.80 ¥12.08

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.56 ¥10.44

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.89 ¥5.98

89.89%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.54 ¥10.33

220.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$13.02 ¥87.4

37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$3.23 ¥21.65

197.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$10.02 ¥67.2

93.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.79 ¥12.01

81.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.21 ¥8.11

80.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.48 ¥9.93

80.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.10 ¥7.41

151.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.69 ¥4.63

220.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.89 ¥5.94

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.57 ¥3.80

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.54 ¥3.63

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.12 ¥20.93

128.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$10.75 ¥72.2

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.80 ¥5.39

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.59 ¥10.69

74.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.27 ¥1.79

1066.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$16.51 ¥111

63.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.35 ¥9.05

140.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.32 ¥2.17

368.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$6.78 ¥45.51

414.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.12 ¥7.49

56.25%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.5K ¥131.1K

87.67%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.3K ¥116.0K

78.90%

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

$188 €161

$44.60 ¥299

320.70%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$9.97 ¥66.9

54.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$11.81 ¥79.3

220.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$42.09 ¥282

35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$13.91 ¥93.3

20.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$5.89 ¥39.50

96.60%

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

$1,003 €862

$336 ¥2,252

198.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$16.8K ¥113.0K

1.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$44.51 ¥299

100.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$30.13 ¥202

35.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$70.4 ¥473

56.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$72.6 ¥487

69.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$274 ¥1,837

510.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$192 ¥1,288

593.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$588 ¥3,947

341.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$363 ¥2,433

437.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,019 ¥20.3K

150.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,064 ¥13.8K

160.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.89

-18.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tangshan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $274 in Tangshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Tangshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $198 per month, with Tangshan 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 Tangshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tangshan differ by about 253% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $706 including rent). Tangshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,059 in Tangshan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $274 in Tangshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $336 in Tangshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Tangshan versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tangshan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tangshan 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 Tangshan 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 Tangshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 253% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.