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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $712 in Tangshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,127 in Tangshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,541 in Tangshan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 232% more expensive than Tangshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tangshan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.74 ¥18.53

541.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$21.29 ¥144

221.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.86 ¥32.89

189.30%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.96 ¥20.04

-6.08%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.47 ¥3.17

495.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.86 ¥5.86

418.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.04 ¥13.81

125.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 ¥12.17

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.54 ¥10.43

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.89 ¥6.04

115.73%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.54 ¥10.43

114.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.60 ¥85.3

46.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.14 ¥21.27

202.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$10.10 ¥68.4

89.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.83 ¥12.38

44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.24 ¥8.41

97.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.54 ¥10.41

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.10 ¥7.44

159.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.75 ¥5.10

172.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.97 ¥6.54

90.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.60 ¥4.04

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.70

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.06 ¥20.74

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.41 ¥70.5

-24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.78 ¥5.30

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.59 ¥10.79

45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.29 ¥1.99

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.95 ¥115

72.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.43 ¥9.65

221.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.33 ¥2.23

527.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$6.52 ¥44.17

347.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.14 ¥7.70

61.40%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.8K ¥133.8K

97.44%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$17.0K ¥115.0K

92.62%

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

$188 €162

$45.02 ¥305

317.19%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$10.08 ¥68.3

127.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.78 ¥79.8

211.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$42.31 ¥287

35.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.89 ¥94.1

49.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.94 ¥40.21

88.38%

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

$721 €621

$332 ¥2,247

117.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-10.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$44.23 ¥300

94.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.34 ¥206

22.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.1 ¥495

39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$70.5 ¥478

64.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$281 ¥1,905

445.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$196 ¥1,327

522.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$590 ¥3,996

356.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$361 ¥2,442

458.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,989 ¥20.2K

141.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,006 ¥13.6K

158.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.89

-12.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tangshan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $281 in Tangshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Tangshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $196 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 232% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $712 including rent). Tangshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,068 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $281 in Tangshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $332 in Tangshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 in Tangshan versus $2,367 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 232% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.