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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $744 in Zhangjiakou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,166 in Zhangjiakou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,589 in Zhangjiakou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 211% more expensive than in Zhangjiakou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Zhangjiakou is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.10

$2.07 ¥13.99

730.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$27.97 ¥189

152.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.32

$5.40 ¥36.57

159.63%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.18 ¥21.53

-12.58%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.43 ¥2.94

546.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.29 ¥1.97

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$0.86 ¥5.80

425.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$1.91 ¥12.91

144.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.70 ¥11.52

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.78 ¥12.05

20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$0.94 ¥6.33

105.32%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$0.98 ¥6.62

256.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$14.12 ¥95.6

31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$2.76 ¥18.68

245.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.61

$9.10 ¥61.6

107.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.26 ¥8.51

107.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$0.87 ¥5.89

168.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.38 ¥9.31

50.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.14 ¥7.69

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.78 ¥5.31

151.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.57 ¥3.88

224.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.55 ¥3.71

178.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.86 ¥5.80

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$3.42 ¥23.15

97.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.84

$13.56 ¥91.8

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.21 ¥8.22

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.36 ¥15.96

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.27 ¥1.81

1011.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.15

$16.95 ¥115

68.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$0.92 ¥6.25

397.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.33 ¥2.25

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.97

$6.13 ¥41.48

382.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.14 ¥7.72

57.89%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$16.8K ¥113.9K

128.47%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$19.6K ¥132.8K

69.51%

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

$185 €162

$87.2 ¥590

111.96%

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

$22.68 €19.93

$7.10 ¥48.06

219.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.32

$7.06 ¥47.76

420.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$42.40 ¥287

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.62

$14.06 ¥95.1

50.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.51

$6.42 ¥43.46

68.69%

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

$727 €639

$318 ¥2,149

128.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$4,944 ¥33.5K

198.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.9

$38.72 ¥262

126.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.83

$28.56 ¥193

30.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.7

$75.9 ¥514

36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$55.8 ¥378

112.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,371

$281 ¥1,900

455.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$187 ¥1,267

552.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,410

$598 ¥4,047

358.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,750

$367 ¥2,482

443.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,581

$3,554 ¥24.0K

110.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,575

$1,912 ¥12.9K

172.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,069

$381 ¥2,577

518.19%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiakou: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $281 in Zhangjiakou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 518% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Zhangjiakou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 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 211% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $744 including rent). Zhangjiakou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 518% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $281 in Zhangjiakou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $318 in Zhangjiakou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Zhangjiakou versus $2,316 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 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.