Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Xiamen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Xiamen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $782 in Xiamen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,265 in Xiamen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,748 in Xiamen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 200% more expensive than Xiamen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Xiamen is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$2.73 ¥18.73

545.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$23.25 ¥159

195.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.43 ¥37.21

153.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.84 ¥19.44

-2.82%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.50 ¥3.43

456.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.29 ¥1.97

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.37 ¥9.40

236.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.38 ¥23.16

35.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.79 ¥12.24

-28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.06 ¥14.14

2.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.80 ¥5.50

146.25%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.40 ¥9.56

145.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.99 ¥75.3

71.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.35 ¥16.11

302.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.05 ¥75.7

72.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.35 ¥16.07

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.32 ¥9.06

79.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.52 ¥10.41

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.84 ¥12.57

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.91 ¥6.21

116.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.72 ¥11.76

4.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.88 ¥6.02

71.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.55 ¥3.76

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.73 ¥18.69

147.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.95 ¥75.0

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.78 ¥5.35

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.65 ¥11.29

46.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.20 ¥1.37

1415.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.13 ¥76.2

155.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.37 ¥9.42

223.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.26 ¥1.78

688.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.80 ¥46.55

331.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.17 ¥8.04

61.54%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$16.8K ¥114.8K

131.19%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$17.2K ¥118.1K

87.75%

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

$189 €161

$39.51 ¥271

377.32%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.98 ¥68.4

122.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$9.64 ¥66.1

281.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$43.58 ¥299

33.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$9.87 ¥67.6

112.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$9.52 ¥65.2

16.07%

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

$726 €622

$453 ¥3,104

60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$22.7K ¥155.3K

-32.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$43.65 ¥299

102.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$26.95 ¥185

37.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$85.4 ¥585

20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$79.9 ¥547

49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$328 ¥2,249

364.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$252 ¥1,729

382.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$849 ¥5,814

229.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$514 ¥3,518

294.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$9,027 ¥61.8K

-21.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$5,094 ¥34.9K

-4.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,134 ¥7,764

112.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.56

-4.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $328 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 112% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $205 per month, with Xiamen 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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Xiamen differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $782 including rent). Xiamen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 112% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $328 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $453 in Xiamen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Xiamen versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen 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 Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.