Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $690 in Yangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,100 in Yangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $1,511 in Yangzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 254% more expensive than in Yangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Yangzhou is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.31

$2.30 ¥15.40

697.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.5

$10.99 ¥73.6

508.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.22

$2.99 ¥20.06

359.87%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.82

$2.50 ¥16.74

26.80%

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

$2.88 €2.56

$0.47 ¥3.14

512.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.23 ¥1.55

747.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.46

$1.06 ¥7.07

266.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.00

$2.04 ¥13.69

120.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.16 ¥7.78

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.96 ¥13.11

5.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$0.76 ¥5.07

135.53%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$1.03 ¥6.88

389.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.37

$13.58 ¥91.0

27.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$2.65 ¥17.72

255.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.24

$6.96 ¥46.60

178.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$0.73 ¥4.91

335.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.73 ¥11.59

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$0.46 ¥3.10

473.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.07 ¥7.16

164.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.72 ¥4.82

205.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.61 ¥4.06

250.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.80 ¥5.39

98.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.66 ¥4.44

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.45

$3.06 ¥20.51

136.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$12.02 ¥80.5

-33.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.93 ¥6.24

58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.93 ¥12.92

43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$0.32 ¥2.18

818.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.08

$15.91 ¥107

63.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$1.17 ¥7.84

161.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.26 ¥1.72

480.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.29

$3.65 ¥24.45

833.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.20 ¥8.07

42.50%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$19.2K ¥128.6K

88.97%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$16.8K ¥112.4K

82.68%

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

$183 €163

$48.63 ¥326

277.15%

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

$14.76 €13.12

$8.11 ¥54.3

82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.60

$11.94 ¥80.0

207.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.63

$41.21 ¥276

35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.67

$16.58 ¥111

-0.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.04

$6.35 ¥42.53

77.95%

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

$983 €873

$240 ¥1,608

309.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$7,596 ¥50.9K

119.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$90.9 ¥609

1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.68

$32.25 ¥216

24.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.4

$64.4 ¥431

68.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$87.8 ¥588

39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,501

$249 ¥1,667

578.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,176

$161 ¥1,079

721.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,326

$607 ¥4,069

330.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,710

$387 ¥2,594

396.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,520

$2,567 ¥17.2K

185.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,669

$1,792 ¥12.0K

193.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,056

$1,291 ¥8,648

79.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.1

1.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $249 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $11.00 in Yangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $182 per month, with Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yangzhou differ by about 254% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $690 including rent). Yangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $249 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $240 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $690 in Yangzhou versus $2,441 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.