Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangjiakou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangjiakou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $737 in Zhangjiakou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,167 in Zhangjiakou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,596 in Zhangjiakou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 220% more expensive than Zhangjiakou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Zhangjiakou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$2.08 ¥14.19

748.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$27.53 ¥188

147.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$5.58 ¥38.12

150.18%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.23 ¥22.06

-14.55%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$0.44 ¥2.99

527.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.29 ¥2.01

579.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$0.86 ¥5.85

426.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.00 ¥13.64

126.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.68 ¥11.50

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.87 ¥12.77

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$1.00 ¥6.82

91.00%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$0.91 ¥6.24

272.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$13.86 ¥94.6

32.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$2.86 ¥19.53

228.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$9.22 ¥63.0

104.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.27 ¥8.67

107.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$0.85 ¥5.82

182.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.37 ¥9.38

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$1.10 ¥7.50

145.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.79 ¥5.37

159.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$0.59 ¥4.00

201.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.58 ¥3.98

153.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.80 ¥5.48

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$3.57 ¥24.36

96.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$13.34 ¥91.1

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.15 ¥7.88

25.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.37 ¥16.18

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.27 ¥1.84

988.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$16.62 ¥114

76.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$0.93 ¥6.33

387.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$0.31 ¥2.08

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$6.11 ¥41.75

374.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.09 ¥7.47

73.39%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$16.5K ¥112.4K

137.24%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$19.2K ¥131.4K

68.59%

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

$189 €160

$86.2 ¥589

118.94%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$6.77 ¥46.27

228.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$7.12 ¥48.63

413.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$41.62 ¥284

39.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

$13.66 ¥93.3

55.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$6.36 ¥43.46

73.11%

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

$731 €621

$313 ¥2,140

133.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$4,938 ¥33.7K

200.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$39.58 ¥270

125.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$29.43 ¥201

27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$77.3 ¥528

35.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$55.2 ¥377

110.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$276 ¥1,882

462.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$190 ¥1,300

538.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$601 ¥4,103

365.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$357 ¥2,439

462.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

$2,997 ¥20.5K

138.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

$1,996 ¥13.6K

151.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

$375 ¥2,564

555.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.35

-22.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiakou: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $276 in Zhangjiakou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 556% 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 in Barcelona vs $28 in Zhangjiakou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $202 per month, with Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhangjiakou differ by about 220% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $737 including rent). Zhangjiakou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 556% more on average, 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $276 in Zhangjiakou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $313 in Zhangjiakou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in Zhangjiakou versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhangjiakou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.