Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhoushan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhoushan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $623 in Zhoushan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,018 in Zhoushan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,413 in Zhoushan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 299% more expensive than in Zhoushan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Zhoushan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.40 ¥22.77

441.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$18.47 ¥124

275.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.08 ¥27.32

244.36%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.93 ¥19.65

6.14%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.47 ¥3.13

529.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.27 ¥1.83

622.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$0.72 ¥4.82

454.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$1.84 ¥12.34

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.88 ¥12.62

-29.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.17 ¥14.54

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.91 ¥6.08

101.10%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.09 ¥7.31

373.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.51 ¥90.5

29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.34 ¥22.36

184.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$11.22 ¥75.2

77.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.53 ¥10.22

107.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.16 ¥7.79

90.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.51 ¥10.10

72.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.17 ¥7.83

143.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.62 ¥4.17

250.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.86 ¥5.76

145.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.62 ¥4.17

161.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.56 ¥3.72

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.24 ¥35.11

36.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.84 ¥79.3

-29.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.92 ¥6.14

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.22 ¥14.85

23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.29 ¥1.92

982.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$14.86 ¥99.6

76.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.45 ¥9.73

122.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.43 ¥2.88

251.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$9.06 ¥60.7

289.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.22 ¥8.20

43.44%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

92.38%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$15.9K ¥106.3K

99.50%

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

$187 €161

$36.94 ¥247

406.55%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$11.76 ¥78.7

28.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$27.73 ¥186

35.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$24.68 ¥165

124.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$7.60 ¥50.9

120.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$5.92 ¥39.65

97.80%

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

$1,011 €871

$442 ¥2,960

128.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.0K ¥107.1K

6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$35.55 ¥238

157.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$21.07 ¥141

94.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$63.7 ¥426

73.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$44.92 ¥301

180.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$324 ¥2,170

425.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$120 ¥803

984.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$749 ¥5,017

245.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$264 ¥1,767

631.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,996 ¥20.1K

158.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,016 ¥13.5K

167.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$600 ¥4,021

295.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.13

0.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $324 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 295% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Zhoushan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $211 per month, with Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhoushan differ by about 299% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $623 including rent). Zhoushan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 295% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $324 in Zhoushan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $442 in Zhoushan. 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 $623 in Zhoushan versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhoushan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.