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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $713 in Zhangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Zhangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $1,573 in Zhangzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 231% more expensive than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Zhangzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$2.85 ¥19.49

518.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$21.93 ¥150

210.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$4.99 ¥34.10

179.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.08 ¥21.02

-10.39%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$0.47 ¥3.21

487.23%

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

$0.87 ¥5.94

420.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.15 ¥14.67

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.81 ¥12.38

-31.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.59 ¥10.87

28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$0.95 ¥6.47

101.05%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$1.59 ¥10.85

113.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$12.72 ¥86.9

44.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$3.23 ¥22.06

190.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.41 ¥71.1

81.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.86 ¥12.68

41.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.27 ¥8.64

88.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.48 ¥10.12

43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.14 ¥7.78

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.69 ¥4.72

197.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.97 ¥6.65

83.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.55 ¥3.78

167.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.55 ¥3.76

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$3.10 ¥21.17

126.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.77 ¥73.5

-29.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$0.74 ¥5.04

94.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.58 ¥10.81

46.84%

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

$16.96 ¥116

73.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.35 ¥9.22

235.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.33 ¥2.22

548.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.71 ¥45.86

331.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.17 ¥7.96

61.54%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$19.4K ¥132.2K

101.73%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$17.3K ¥117.8K

88.00%

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

$189 €161

$45.62 ¥312

313.88%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$9.69 ¥66.2

129.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$11.87 ¥81.1

208.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.38 ¥283

40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$13.90 ¥94.9

53.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$5.76 ¥39.36

91.15%

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

$731 €622

$337 ¥2,300

117.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-12.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$43.28 ¥296

106.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$29.84 ¥204

25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$72.1 ¥492

45.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$71.9 ¥491

61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$275 ¥1,881

463.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$194 ¥1,328

525.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$598 ¥4,087

367.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$353 ¥2,414

468.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,044 ¥20.8K

135.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,003 ¥13.7K

150.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $22 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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 231% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $713 including rent). Zhangzhou 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 $1,069 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $337 in Zhangzhou. 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 $713 in Zhangzhou versus $2,356 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 231% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.