Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Xi'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Xi'an

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $707 in Xi'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,114 in Xi'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,522 in Xi'an.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 234% more expensive than in Xi'an, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.80 ¥18.93

512.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$18.00 ¥122

278.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.51 ¥37.22

147.55%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.50 ¥23.61

-20.57%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.43 ¥2.88

555.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.26 ¥1.75

653.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.14 ¥7.70

288.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.69 ¥11.44

172.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.55 ¥10.50

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.62 ¥10.93

31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.88 ¥5.92

126.14%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.68 ¥11.35

100.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.84 ¥46.20

177.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$1.97 ¥13.32

383.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$8.82 ¥59.6

112.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.58 ¥10.69

67.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.14 ¥7.67

106.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.28 ¥8.65

63.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.81 ¥5.47

237.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.65 ¥4.38

201.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.56 ¥3.75

223.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.50 ¥3.41

202.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.56 ¥3.77

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.71 ¥18.33

150.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.33 ¥49.50

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.73 ¥4.95

87.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.72 ¥11.59

39.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.51 ¥3.42

470.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$33.25 ¥224

-13.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.33 ¥8.97

244.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.30 ¥2.02

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$4.21 ¥28.42

582.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.19 ¥8.02

52.94%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$20.9K ¥141.0K

88.25%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$16.0K ¥108.0K

103.00%

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

$187 €162

$46.13 ¥311

304.57%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$5.80 ¥39.15

284.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.96 ¥80.7

204.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$43.30 ¥292

32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.51 ¥111

25.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.95 ¥33.42

117.58%

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

$725 €628

$337 ¥2,274

115.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$18.0K ¥121.5K

-15.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$55.0 ¥371

59.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$36.75 ¥248

0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$70.0 ¥472

47.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$70.3 ¥475

68.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$251 ¥1,692

507.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$196 ¥1,325

525.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$497 ¥3,353

449.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$379 ¥2,558

423.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,398 ¥16.2K

211.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,584 ¥10.7K

231.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,058 ¥7,145

126.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.32

-21.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $251 in Xi'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 126% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Xi'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $156 per month, with Xi'an 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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Xi'an differ by about 234% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $707 including rent). Xi'an is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $251 in Xi'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $337 in Xi'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $707 in Xi'an versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xi'an but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Xi'an 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 Xi'an 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 Xi'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.