Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangjiagang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangjiagang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $750 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,239 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,729 in Zhangjiagang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 214% more expensive than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Zhangjiagang is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$3.57 ¥24.37

394.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$26.64 ¥182

155.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.81 ¥32.84

190.23%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.36 ¥22.94

-17.86%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.52 ¥3.57

430.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.29 ¥1.99

579.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.08 ¥7.38

319.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.63 ¥11.13

177.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.03 ¥13.88

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.93 ¥13.18

5.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.00 ¥6.85

91.00%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.79 ¥12.19

89.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$17.19 ¥117

6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$2.60 ¥17.75

261.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$9.39 ¥64.2

101.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.99 ¥13.56

32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.75 ¥11.93

37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.58 ¥10.78

34.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.26 ¥8.59

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.76 ¥5.20

169.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.92 ¥6.28

93.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.67 ¥4.61

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.53 ¥3.63

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$4.07 ¥27.77

72.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$13.40 ¥91.5

-43.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.70 ¥4.81

105.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.64 ¥11.21

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.29 ¥2.00

913.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$16.72 ¥114

75.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.76 ¥12.03

157.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.26 ¥1.77

723.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.10 ¥41.63

374.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.17 ¥8.01

61.54%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$19.1K ¥130.7K

103.97%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$16.8K ¥114.7K

93.08%

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

$189 €161

$43.69 ¥298

332.16%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$11.60 ¥79.2

91.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$11.33 ¥77.4

222.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.07 ¥281

41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$13.85 ¥94.6

53.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$6.14 ¥41.90

79.32%

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

$731 €622

$442 ¥3,019

65.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$17.2K ¥117.3K

-13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$58.0 ¥396

53.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$34.83 ¥238

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$72.4 ¥495

44.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$93.3 ¥638

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$275 ¥1,879

463.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$191 ¥1,305

536.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$590 ¥4,027

374.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$361 ¥2,466

456.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,613 ¥24.7K

98.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,791 ¥12.2K

180.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.83

-11.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $27 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $223 per month, with Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhangjiagang differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $750 including rent). Zhangjiagang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $1,124 in Zhangjiagang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $442 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Zhangjiagang versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.