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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $665 in Zhoushan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,060 in Zhoushan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,454 in Zhoushan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 249% more expensive than in Zhoushan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Zhoushan is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.18 ¥21.46

455.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$17.40 ¥118

300.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.98 ¥33.68

184.34%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.83 ¥19.10

-1.06%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.43 ¥2.92

553.49%

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

$0.93 ¥6.30

394.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.37 ¥9.24

242.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.05 ¥13.87

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.50 ¥16.92

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.87 ¥5.86

127.59%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.02 ¥6.90

242.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$20.40 ¥138

-10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.65 ¥24.66

169.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.86 ¥53.1

143.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.37 ¥9.27

99.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.13 ¥7.66

110.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.42 ¥9.58

46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.09 ¥7.33

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.54 ¥3.67

262.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.81 ¥5.47

120.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.55 ¥3.73

169.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 ¥3.42

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.08 ¥27.55

74.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.14 ¥75.3

-29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.94 ¥6.33

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.73 ¥18.42

-12.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.81

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$16.90 ¥114

73.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.56 ¥10.56

179.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.35 ¥2.37

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.27 ¥55.9

257.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.12 ¥7.59

62.50%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$21.0K ¥141.6K

80.83%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$15.2K ¥102.5K

113.54%

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

$189 €166

$45.75 ¥309

313.18%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$15.31 ¥103

45.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.68 ¥79.0

218.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$23.24 ¥157

149.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$6.87 ¥46.40

200.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.12 ¥41.34

77.61%

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

$706 €618

$754 ¥5,094

-6.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$16.8K ¥113.3K

-11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$53.5 ¥361

67.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$35.47 ¥240

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$69.3 ¥468

50.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$93.0 ¥628

28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$302 ¥2,043

422.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$112 ¥760

1001.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$689 ¥4,656

293.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$248 ¥1,675

722.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,955 ¥20.0K

154.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,956 ¥13.2K

167.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$587 ¥3,967

302.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.86

-12.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $302 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 303% 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 Zhoushan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $225 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 249% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $665 including rent). Zhoushan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 303% 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 $302 in Zhoushan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $754 in Zhoushan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $665 in Zhoushan versus $2,320 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 249% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.