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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $758 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,225 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,693 in Zhangjiagang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 212% more expensive than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zhangjiagang is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.53 ¥23.93

398.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$26.84 ¥182

154.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.93 ¥33.40

185.19%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.36 ¥22.78

-17.26%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.48 ¥3.25

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.14 ¥7.72

291.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.62 ¥11.00

184.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.05 ¥13.90

-39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.88 ¥12.76

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.93 ¥6.28

106.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.72 ¥11.65

92.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$16.72 ¥113

10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.69 ¥18.25

252.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$9.60 ¥65.0

99.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.05 ¥13.86

28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.82 ¥12.33

34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.57 ¥10.66

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.27 ¥8.58

124.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.76 ¥5.17

168.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.00 ¥6.80

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.66 ¥4.49

122.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.49 ¥3.29

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.19 ¥28.39

70.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.39 ¥90.7

-41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.70 ¥4.77

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.69 ¥11.47

36.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.81

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$16.39 ¥111

78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.83 ¥12.39

151.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.74

696.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$6.19 ¥41.91

371.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.17 ¥7.89

57.26%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.3K ¥130.6K

102.28%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

93.24%

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

$188 €162

$44.95 ¥304

317.84%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$11.54 ¥78.1

98.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.33 ¥76.7

224.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$41.21 ¥279

39.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.01 ¥94.9

47.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.44 ¥43.61

73.76%

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

$721 €621

$446 ¥3,019

61.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$16.8K ¥113.9K

-10.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$56.3 ¥381

53.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$35.39 ¥240

4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$71.9 ¥487

42.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$90.7 ¥614

27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$278 ¥1,881

452.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$185 ¥1,251

560.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$581 ¥3,937

363.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$356 ¥2,413

465.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,371 ¥22.8K

114.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,789 ¥12.1K

190.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $278 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $758 including rent). Zhangjiagang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,136 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $278 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $446 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $758 in Zhangjiagang versus $2,367 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 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.