Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $719 in Zhangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Zhangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,565 in Zhangzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 229% more expensive than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zhangzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$2.78 ¥18.78

532.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$21.22 ¥144

222.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$4.74 ¥32.05

196.62%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.08 ¥20.87

-9.74%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.47 ¥3.16

495.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.27 ¥1.82

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$0.93 ¥6.28

379.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.03 ¥13.76

127.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.88 ¥12.70

-34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.60 ¥10.83

26.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.97 ¥6.54

97.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.54 ¥10.44

114.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$12.86 ¥87.0

43.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.28 ¥22.21

189.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$10.24 ¥69.3

87.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.79 ¥12.11

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.25 ¥8.48

96.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.49 ¥10.07

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.13 ¥7.65

152.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.73 ¥4.96

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.89 ¥6.05

107.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.61 ¥4.12

140.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$3.16 ¥21.38

125.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$10.40 ¥70.3

-24.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.73 ¥4.95

89.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.67 ¥11.27

38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.27 ¥1.81

1003.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$16.56 ¥112

76.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.42 ¥9.62

223.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.33 ¥2.20

527.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$6.51 ¥44.02

348.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.13 ¥7.66

62.83%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$19.8K ¥133.7K

97.36%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

93.08%

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

$188 €163

$45.97 ¥311

308.57%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$9.89 ¥66.9

131.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$11.86 ¥80.3

209.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$41.48 ¥281

38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$14.20 ¥96.0

45.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$5.89 ¥39.88

89.98%

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

$721 €625

$331 ¥2,240

117.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

-10.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$43.41 ¥294

98.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$30.47 ¥206

21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$71.3 ¥482

43.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$72.7 ¥492

59.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$275 ¥1,860

457.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$193 ¥1,304

533.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$591 ¥3,998

356.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$360 ¥2,436

459.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$3,009 ¥20.4K

139.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$2,044 ¥13.8K

153.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.89

-12.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $199 per month, with Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhangzhou differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $719 including rent). Zhangzhou 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 $1,079 in Zhangzhou 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 $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $331 in Zhangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Zhangzhou versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhangzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.