Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tengzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tengzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $714 in Tengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,138 in Tengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,562 in Tengzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 230% more expensive than Tengzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Tengzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$2.86 ¥19.50

516.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$21.44 ¥146

217.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.72 ¥32.27

195.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.09 ¥21.14

-10.68%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.43 ¥2.93

541.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.27 ¥1.83

629.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$0.95 ¥6.46

376.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.11 ¥14.42

114.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.85 ¥12.64

-32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.61 ¥11.00

26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.89 ¥6.05

114.61%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.54 ¥10.51

120.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$13.05 ¥89.1

40.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$3.26 ¥22.29

188.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.06 ¥68.7

87.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.87 ¥12.78

40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.21 ¥8.24

98.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.47 ¥10.02

44.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.09 ¥7.45

147.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.70 ¥4.77

192.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.91 ¥6.18

95.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.55 ¥3.77

167.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.69

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.11 ¥21.21

125.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.61 ¥72.5

-28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.79 ¥5.41

82.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.58 ¥10.82

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.29 ¥1.99

913.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$17.01 ¥116

72.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.42 ¥9.70

219.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.35 ¥2.41

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.62 ¥45.23

337.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.13 ¥7.75

67.26%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$19.4K ¥132.7K

100.92%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$17.3K ¥118.4K

87.12%

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

$189 €161

$44.91 ¥307

320.42%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$10.07 ¥68.8

120.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$11.73 ¥80.1

211.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.16 ¥281

40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$13.80 ¥94.3

54.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$6.00 ¥40.99

83.50%

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

$731 €622

$333 ¥2,273

119.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$16.7K ¥114.3K

-11.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$43.24 ¥295

106.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$30.95 ¥211

20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$72.4 ¥494

44.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$72.9 ¥498

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$275 ¥1,876

464.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$194 ¥1,324

527.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$590 ¥4,030

374.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$354 ¥2,418

467.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,000 ¥20.5K

138.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,068 ¥14.1K

142.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Tengzhou: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $275 in Tengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $21 in Tengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $199 per month, with Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tengzhou differ by about 230% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $714 including rent). Tengzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $1,070 in Tengzhou 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $275 in Tengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $333 in Tengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $714 in Tengzhou versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tengzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.