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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $726 in Zhangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,131 in Zhangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,535 in Zhangzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 219% more expensive than in Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Zhangzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$2.86 ¥19.36

501.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$21.75 ¥147

225.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$4.93 ¥33.40

184.38%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.99 ¥20.27

-7.02%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.47 ¥3.18

491.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.29 ¥1.98

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$0.95 ¥6.43

375.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$2.05 ¥13.87

127.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.80 ¥12.19

-28.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.57 ¥10.61

36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$0.96 ¥6.49

101.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.54 ¥10.45

126.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$12.89 ¥87.3

43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$3.25 ¥22.03

193.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$10.14 ¥68.7

86.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.81 ¥12.24

44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.22 ¥8.24

91.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.47 ¥9.97

41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.13 ¥7.67

152.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.70 ¥4.73

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.90 ¥6.07

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.57 ¥3.85

168.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.54 ¥3.69

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$3.15 ¥21.30

114.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$10.61 ¥71.8

-26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.80 ¥5.40

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.64 ¥11.10

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$0.27 ¥1.82

1011.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$16.54 ¥112

73.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.36 ¥9.23

236.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 ¥2.23

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$6.80 ¥46.03

334.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.16 ¥7.89

55.17%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$19.6K ¥132.7K

96.20%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$17.1K ¥116.1K

94.03%

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

$185 €162

$44.85 ¥304

312.20%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$10.09 ¥68.4

124.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$11.80 ¥79.9

211.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$41.11 ¥278

40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$13.84 ¥93.7

53.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$5.99 ¥40.53

80.80%

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

$727 €637

$334 ¥2,262

117.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

-11.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$44.31 ¥300

97.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$29.93 ¥203

24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$71.3 ¥483

44.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$73.3 ¥496

61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$283 ¥1,915

451.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$190 ¥1,286

543.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$587 ¥3,975

367.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$357 ¥2,421

457.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$3,012 ¥20.4K

148.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$2,010 ¥13.6K

159.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $283 in Zhangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $198 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 219% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $726 including rent). Zhangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,089 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $283 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $334 in Zhangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $726 in Zhangzhou versus $2,316 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 219% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.