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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $616 in Yangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,006 in Yangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,395 in Yangzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 277% more expensive than in Yangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yangzhou is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$2.11 ¥14.28

736.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$15.48 ¥105

350.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$3.44 ¥23.27

311.63%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.98 ¥20.20

-6.04%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.51 ¥3.44

450.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.18 ¥1.21

1044.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$0.72 ¥4.90

538.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$1.71 ¥11.58

174.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.01 ¥6.86

21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.87 ¥5.86

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.98 ¥6.66

102.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.32 ¥8.96

164.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.64 ¥38.20

225.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$2.66 ¥18.03

269.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$8.99 ¥60.9

112.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.04 ¥7.05

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.42 ¥9.62

67.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.93 ¥6.27

123.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.12 ¥7.59

145.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.74 ¥4.98

164.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.94 ¥6.35

90.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.64 ¥4.33

131.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 ¥3.50

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.85 ¥19.27

150.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$9.70 ¥65.6

-18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.75 ¥5.04

84.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.37 ¥9.26

74.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.29 ¥2.00

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$17.02 ¥115

72.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.43 ¥9.68

204.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 ¥2.21

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$3.39 ¥22.94

773.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.16 ¥7.88

56.90%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.3K ¥130.5K

96.48%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$16.7K ¥113.2K

93.52%

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

$189 €165

$44.63 ¥302

323.55%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$7.67 ¥51.9

190.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$11.44 ¥77.4

224.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.32 ¥280

40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.12 ¥95.5

46.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.17 ¥41.73

76.18%

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

$706 €618

$457 ¥3,092

54.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,874 ¥46.5K

116.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$57.3 ¥388

55.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$34.34 ¥232

6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$69.3 ¥469

50.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$82.6 ¥559

44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$238 ¥1,610

563.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$152 ¥1,029

714.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$554 ¥3,748

389.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$359 ¥2,430

468.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$2,496 ¥16.9K

201.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,815 ¥12.3K

188.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,251 ¥8,463

89.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.1

9.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $238 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 89% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Yangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $147 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 277% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $616 including rent). Yangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $238 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $457 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $616 in Yangzhou versus $2,320 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 277% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.