Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Xuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Xuzhou: $596 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Xuzhou
Learn more

Xuzhou Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Xuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Xuzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Xuzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $596 in Xuzhou.

Barcelona $2,399
Xuzhou $596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $971 in Xuzhou.

Barcelona $3,410
Xuzhou $971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $1,346 in Xuzhou.

Barcelona $4,421
Xuzhou $1,346

Living in Barcelona is roughly 303% more expensive than in Xuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Xuzhou is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €16.02

$2.28 ¥15.22

686.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.8

$13.94 ¥93.3

388.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.86

$4.79 ¥32.00

177.24%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.90

$2.29 ¥15.33

41.92%

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

$3.01 €2.68

$0.48 ¥3.24

527.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.27 ¥1.82

592.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.44

$1.45 ¥9.71

165.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €4.00

$1.52 ¥10.14

194.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.95 ¥13.02

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.15 ¥14.35

-5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.58 ¥3.90

196.55%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.26

$1.17 ¥7.84

307.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.98

$10.43 ¥69.7

60.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.97

$1.47 ¥9.83

507.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.75

$8.01 ¥53.6

148.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$1.89 ¥12.66

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.08 ¥7.22

87.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.44

$0.93 ¥6.22

193.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$0.95 ¥6.35

182.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.88

$0.54 ¥3.64

288.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$0.70 ¥4.66

197.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.64 ¥4.28

126.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.44 ¥2.96

102.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.20

$3.03 ¥20.25

129.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.95

$5.95 ¥39.76

30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.30

$0.46 ¥3.08

215.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.30

$0.92 ¥6.16

179.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.67

$0.29 ¥1.92

931.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.50

$17.28 ¥116

45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.79

$1.41 ¥9.41

121.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.35 ¥2.37

311.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.92

$9.05 ¥60.5

270.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.17 ¥7.84

52.99%

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

$34.6K €30.9K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

90.99%

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

$30.1K €26.9K

$15.1K ¥100.7K

99.62%

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

$178 €159

$46.71 ¥312

280.75%

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

$13.32 €11.90

$7.83 ¥52.4

70.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.15

$3.65 ¥24.41

855.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.55

$41.24 ¥276

29.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.29

$14.39 ¥96.2

11.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.88

$5.28 ¥35.34

109.47%

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

$957 €854

$415 ¥2,775

130.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$22.0K ¥147.3K

-24.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$29.70 ¥199

196.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.26

$22.15 ¥148

78.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

$45.25 ¥303

127.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$53.3 ¥356

127.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,476

$222 ¥1,483

645.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,162

$161 ¥1,079

706.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,284

$455 ¥3,045

461.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,710

$378 ¥2,527

406.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,506

$2,171 ¥14.5K

235.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,536

$1,677 ¥11.2K

202.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,037

$937 ¥6,264

143.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.42

-4.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Xuzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Xuzhou

$161 27.1% 87.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Xuzhou

$162 27.2% 49.4% $158

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Xuzhou

$73 12.3% 72.8% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Xuzhou

$58 9.8% 74.3% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Xuzhou

$68 11.4% 57.3% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Xuzhou

$52 8.7% 31.3% $24

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Xuzhou

$22 3.6% 54.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $222 in Xuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 143% 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 $14.00 in Xuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $162 per month, with Xuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇳 Xuzhou

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

15:51 3:51 PM

6 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

9,083,790

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Xuzhou 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Xuzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Xuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Xuzhou differ by about 303% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $596 including rent). Xuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $222 in Xuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $415 in Xuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $596 in Xuzhou versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xuzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Xuzhou 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 Xuzhou 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 Xuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 303% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.