Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhongshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhongshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $642 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $996 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,350 in Zhongshan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 262% more expensive than in Zhongshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Zhongshan is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.80 ¥18.92

530.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$16.98 ¥115

310.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.27 ¥28.89

231.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.80 ¥18.89

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.40 ¥2.72

602.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.27 ¥1.81

662.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.73 ¥4.90

530.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.69 ¥11.43

177.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.77 ¥11.94

-30.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.80 ¥12.17

12.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.97 ¥6.56

104.12%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.56 ¥10.54

123.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.87 ¥87.0

42.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.59 ¥17.53

279.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.62 ¥85.3

51.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.83 ¥12.35

49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.94 ¥6.36

153.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.60 ¥4.06

246.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.38 ¥9.30

99.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.50 ¥3.40

292.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.73 ¥4.96

145.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.36 ¥2.44

311.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 ¥3.48

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.86 ¥19.32

149.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.36 ¥83.6

-36.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.65 ¥4.38

112.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.93 ¥13.03

23.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.29 ¥1.96

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$13.82 ¥93.4

112.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.28 ¥8.62

240.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.37 ¥2.52

475.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$7.01 ¥47.39

322.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.13 ¥7.65

61.06%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.8K ¥154.1K

66.13%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.3K ¥137.2K

59.43%

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

$189 €166

$38.39 ¥259

392.39%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.49 ¥57.4

162.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.88 ¥80.3

212.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$63.6 ¥430

-8.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$6.98 ¥47.20

195.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.71 ¥38.59

90.37%

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

$706 €618

$298 ¥2,014

136.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$12.5K ¥84.4K

19.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$44.38 ¥300

101.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.38 ¥205

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$56.6 ¥382

83.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$69.3 ¥468

72.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$196 ¥1,323

706.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$119 ¥806

938.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$349 ¥2,359

676.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$200 ¥1,354

918.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,411 ¥16.3K

212.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,457 ¥9,846

259.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$948 ¥6,409

149.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.83

-11.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $196 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $202 per month, with Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhongshan differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $642 including rent). Zhongshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $196 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $298 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $642 in Zhongshan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.