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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $720 in Zhanjiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Zhanjiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,566 in Zhanjiang.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$2.87 ¥19.39

512.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$17.18 ¥116

298.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$5.60 ¥37.89

151.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.53 ¥23.85

-21.25%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.43 ¥2.93

551.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$0.88 ¥5.94

406.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.15 ¥14.55

114.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.77 ¥11.99

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.52 ¥10.30

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.97 ¥6.54

97.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.20 ¥8.11

175.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$12.77 ¥86.4

44.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.10 ¥20.96

206.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$10.40 ¥70.4

84.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.80 ¥12.20

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.22 ¥8.24

100.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.35 ¥9.14

57.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.41 ¥9.57

102.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.71 ¥4.82

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.92 ¥6.22

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.61 ¥4.11

140.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 ¥3.47

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$3.21 ¥21.70

122.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$11.69 ¥79.1

-32.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.79 ¥5.34

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.61 ¥10.87

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.29 ¥1.99

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$16.69 ¥113

75.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.42 ¥9.58

223.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.36 ¥2.41

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$6.52 ¥44.08

347.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.18 ¥8.00

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$19.0K ¥128.4K

105.63%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$17.0K ¥114.7K

92.90%

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

$188 €163

$46.28 ¥313

305.83%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$9.98 ¥67.5

129.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$11.64 ¥78.7

215.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$41.95 ¥284

36.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$14.01 ¥94.8

47.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$6.16 ¥41.65

81.66%

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

$721 €625

$336 ¥2,276

114.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$16.8K ¥113.8K

-10.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$43.50 ¥294

98.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$30.44 ¥206

21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$72.3 ¥489

41.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$75.2 ¥509

54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$282 ¥1,909

443.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$189 ¥1,276

547.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$595 ¥4,024

353.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$366 ¥2,476

449.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$3,539 ¥23.9K

104.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$1,984 ¥13.4K

161.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhanjiang: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $282 in Zhanjiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Zhanjiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $199 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 229% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $720 including rent). Zhanjiang 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 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $282 in Zhanjiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $336 in Zhanjiang. 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 $720 in Zhanjiang versus $2,367 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 229% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.