Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhanjiang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhanjiang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $715 in Zhanjiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,130 in Zhanjiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,544 in Zhanjiang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than in Zhanjiang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$2.85 ¥19.25

503.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$17.53 ¥119

303.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$5.65 ¥38.23

148.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.52 ¥23.83

-21.02%

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 €1.79

$0.29 ¥1.98

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$0.89 ¥6.02

407.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$2.03 ¥13.74

130.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.78 ¥12.07

-27.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.58 ¥10.70

35.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$0.90 ¥6.11

114.44%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$1.20 ¥8.10

190.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$12.88 ¥87.1

43.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$3.09 ¥20.92

208.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$10.41 ¥70.5

81.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.77 ¥11.98

48.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.21 ¥8.20

93.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.40 ¥9.48

48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.38 ¥9.33

106.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.68 ¥4.63

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.91 ¥6.15

103.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.61 ¥4.09

150.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.55 ¥3.69

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$3.04 ¥20.59

122.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$10.35 ¥70.0

-24.73%

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

$1.65 ¥11.18

40.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.29 ¥1.96

934.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$16.97 ¥115

68.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.42 ¥9.58

222.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.33 ¥2.21

545.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$6.74 ¥45.57

338.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.17 ¥7.88

53.85%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$19.0K ¥128.2K

102.83%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$16.4K ¥110.8K

103.09%

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

$185 €162

$46.62 ¥315

296.55%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$9.82 ¥66.4

130.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$11.59 ¥78.4

217.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$41.51 ¥281

39.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$13.75 ¥93.0

54.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$6.44 ¥43.55

68.17%

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

$727 €637

$332 ¥2,247

118.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$17.0K ¥114.9K

-13.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$43.53 ¥295

101.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$30.09 ¥204

24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$72.4 ¥490

42.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$74.4 ¥503

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$275 ¥1,858

468.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$191 ¥1,289

540.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$597 ¥4,036

359.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$362 ¥2,451

449.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$3,019 ¥20.4K

148.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$1,909 ¥12.9K

172.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Zhanjiang: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $275 in Zhanjiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Zhanjiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $197 per month, with Zhanjiang 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 Zhanjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhanjiang differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $715 including rent). Zhanjiang 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 $1,073 in Zhanjiang 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 $275 in Zhanjiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $332 in Zhanjiang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $715 in Zhanjiang versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhanjiang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhanjiang 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 Zhanjiang 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 Zhanjiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.